How Much Is One Girl Worth
by LittleWolfBlood
Summary: Tony somehow finds himself at his friend's high school reunion. He encounters a girl who becomes a victim of a cruel prank and does his best to protect her. But is one girl really worth the end of the world? Especially sine one cranky god has already claimed dibs on her. A Tony x OC and a bit Loki x Oc
1. Chapter 1

With my head in my hand and a large, drawn-out sigh leaking out from my lips, I tried to understand what the hell I was doing. I, Tony Stark, was going to a High School reunion that wasn't even my own. A week ago I had ran into one of my old friends in high school. I wasn't in school at the time and was just visiting, looking for some useful scientists. That was when I ran into little Sara. A small blond with thick glasses and a love for the environment that was so strong you had to think she was Mother Earth. I had wanted to recruit her to my company and tried to take her out to dinner just to get flat out rejected at both offers. She told me that she wanted to work privately and that she had only interests in women, which made me even more interested in her. For the full year I would come by and have some interesting discussions about the similarities of nature and science. It wasn't long until we became very close friends and made the title to 'The Only Woman That Has Not Bed Me.' She laughed at the title.

After she graduated from High School she decided to move and travel around the world. I waved goodbye and thought little about her after that day until I ran into her at a liquor store. I will be honest, I was slightly buzzed when I ran into her and somehow got her to buy me some expensive rum and whisky. We talked and caught up later that night at a nearby park, just hanging out together. She later told me about her reunion and invited me to be the host. Being slightly drunk as I was at the time I agreed and so here I was. L.A., California. I loved the state but not for the reasons as much. Sara is one of the few people in this world that I would do anything for with no questions asked, obviously. She probably known that too when she convinced me to attend this party tonight.

I lifted my head up and looked out the tinted window of the limo, gazing at the Palm Trees and the slightly clouded sky as we slowly drove by. The stars were just barely shining tonight. I loved the stars in California. You couldn't see the stars in New York because of the lights from the city, not like it was much better here, but they still found a way to prove their existence. I would be reaching the school soon, too soon if you asked me. I had nothing to drink prior to the evening which was probably why I was a little on edge. The strong liquor of whisky would've loosen me up but I was neglected anything when I reached my mansion. I forgot that I had drank that place dry the last time I was here and forgot to restock when I left. I made sure to inform JARVIS to fill my storage up to the door while I was here. My package of nerve-releasers would be here by tomorrow morning, which I was grateful for.

The limo rest to a gentle stop so I pulled myself from my thoughts and looked around the area of the parking lot. I was suppose to stay hidden and wait for Sara. She was going to surprise everyone with my visit, her idea not mine. Another sigh was heard with a mixture of fingers drumming my thigh and my right foot tapping the carpeted floor. I just wanted to get this over with as fast as I could. I would love to hang out with Sara, no problem with her it's just everyone else I had a slight problem with. But for her, I would put up with them and try to enjoy myself.

_'Tap, tap!' _My head shot to the window and looked right into the beautiful blond with green eyes standing right outside. "Tony! Glad you could make it!" She stepped aside as I opened the door, a few joints popping in the process. A small smile formed on my face as I looked over Sara. She had worn a champagne colored dress that reached her knees. A small, black belt rested on her hips with a black, leather bracelet on her left wrist to match. I looked up and my smile grew even bigger to see that she still wore the same thick glasses on her petite nose. "You look dashing, Tony."

I lifted my arms up and hugged my old friend. "I'm glad to see you little flower." She chuckled and hugged my tightly before pulling away. "You do have a plan for how this is suppose to play out for me, right? I'm not big on these kinds of things you know."

Sara nodded her head and wrapped her arm around mine, leading me to the school that she grew up in. Nothing had changed since the last time I came here, her graduation day. "Yes I do. I will do most of the talking so you don't need to worry. All you have to do is stand there, look good, and hand out the rewards. Easy enough, right?" I nodded gratefully, I was not in the mood to have the twenty thousand questions followed by a speech about a great year or something along those lines. "I will warn you that there will not be any alcoholic drinks allowed tonight." My eyes widen and I looked down at her as we reached the front doors. Her goofy smile perked up and she looked up. "But I was able to sneak a flask filled with your favorite. That is all you will be having tonight until the party ends."

I bent down and hugged her again, picking her up and did a little twirl. "Oh, god! Thank you little flower! That is all I will be needing!" I placed her down and we both shared laughter as we walked inside and got everything prepared for tonight.

* * *

><p>We had spent a good two hours just talking and hanging out before we did anything productive. The teachers and volunteers had set up the balloons with paper streamers wearing the school's colors. Ironically, red and gold. I watched a couple of kids placing tables and chairs in the large room. Golden cloths covered the tables and red bowls with matching cups were placed on top.<p>

I was mildly surprised how fast everyone was working and it wasn't long until everything was set up and ready for the already graduated students to arrive. My fingers were wrapped around the sliver flask in my hand as I took another quick swig of the strong whisky. The sweet burn of the poison ran down my throat like velvet. I was actually not having a bad time. Sara was busy getting all of the awards set and ready along with her short speech. The aroma of sandwiches and hot dip pulled me away from Sara. My feet lead me to the table with the different assortment of food. I new that if I was to be drinking a little I would need to get something solid in my system as well. I stopped and looked over my choices. There was chips n' dip, little finger sandwiches, cupcakes, cookies, and fruit punch. I reached over to pick up a red plate, placing a small handful of chips with a drizzle of the nacho sauce over it. My eyes darted over to the mix assortment of the gold and red cupcakes before I finally gave in and grabbed one of each color. I pealed off the wrapped and didn't hesitate to shove half of it in my mouth. The vanilla and lemon flavors mixed in with the whisky after taste. Not a well mix to try out by-the-way. I swallowed it all and found that the cake absorbed the whisky so I shoved the rest of the cake in my mouth before I felt a small tap on my shoulder. My head turned around to eye a scrawny boy of about fifteen looking up at me with wonder and awe. "Are you...Tony Stark?"

I swallowed the cake and debated on what to do. I was suppose to stay hidden and now I was caught...red-handed, funny right? No? Whatever...

The young boy handed me a yellow napkin and I took it with a grateful smile. I used it to wipe my face clean. "Yes I am, you are?" The boy seemed to glow and I was shocked when he began jumping up and down. "Are you alright kid?"

His head bounced up and down before he finally calmed himself down. "Yes...sorry about that sir, I'm a huge fan of you and yourself as Iron Man." He broke into a large toothy smile that showed me his braces. "I'm Billy, it's a honor to met you in person." He held out his hand with such confidence. I found myself smirking and grasp his hand tightly, giving him a good, strong shake.

"Nice to met you Billy. Just between you and me," I leaned down and cuffed my hand around my mouth, motioning that I was going to tell his a secret. "I am not suppose to be noticed until my friend introduces me later after the party has started. I don't suppose you want to help me sneak some of these treats in the back with me before we get caught?" I raised a eyebrow and he was frozen for a second. His head snapped around to look for anybody that could be watching, I did the same thing. Once we agreed that no one was looking we grabbed a couple of plates filled with chips n' dip and cupcakes before we snuck around to the back room where I was suppose to wait in. Billy stayed close to my side and followed in the room.

We sat around and began to munch down on our stolen food. He was a very bright kid who was going to graduate high school in two years. He told me how he took a interest in studying atoms and had a strange idea to manipulate atoms to create portals. This kids dreams were larger than my ego but he had enough faith in himself to catch my attention. "Hey Billy." He looked up as he bit into a cupcake, letting crumbs into his lap. "You are a bright kid, how would you feel about working for me when you graduate?" Silence filled the room as he stared at me, watching me to say something like, 'Just kidding!'

Billy placed the cupcake on the plate and wiped his mouth with a napkin before he broke into a large grin that reminded me for the mischievous god who attacked us a few months back, Loki. "I would be honored Mr. Stark!" He jumped forward and grabbed my hand to shake it like a maniac. He had spirit and a lot of confidence, I liked that so I got his information and messaged JARVIS to keep his information in the data base for two years. We continued to talk and he occasionally asked a question about the Avengers and what it was like to work with everybody on the team. Hours went by and Billy had to leave so I said farewell and cleaned myself off before I would be making my appearance.

* * *

><p>It was getting late and pretty much everyone had shown up now. I was standing on the stage next to Sara as we were gossiping about her former classmates behind the curtins. She lifted her hand and pointed to a rather chubby guy with thin hair. "That is Stevie. He use to be a real heartbreaker during my junior year. Legend says that he once had slept with eleven girls in one week." We both snickered and giggled. That was nothing for me but I was enjoying making fun of people I didn't know. She gasped and pointed to a very scrawny girl who looks like she hadn't eaten anything in a month. That is very unattractive for me. "That would be Melissa. She was Stevie's favorite skank. We were all sure that she had a few kids with him with how much they would have sex over the years. I heard that she got caught with some illegal drugs."<p>

I shivered at her figure and tore my eyes from her to look over the rest of the kids. Most of the men were somewhat formally dressed and the women wore skimpy dresses. Almost all black and a few red colors could be seen. Conversations were held at every corner of the room, leaving nobody free from the noise. After a minute went by everyone just suddenly stopped talking. I just figured that the time for Sara's spotlight had finally come around but when I looked down I watched as she was lost for breath. Her eyes were locked on somebody in the crowed so I tried to follow her eyes, that's when I spotted the small spot of white. In the middle of the room was a young woman wearing a white dress that resembled a old Victorian noble. It was slit on the side and white lace ruffled down the side. She supported black, laced booted that reached her knees. My eyes looked closer to see her face, and oh man her face. She was a perfect white-cream color, not pale. Her hair was a darker shade of black, if even possible, and was supporting a pixie cut. Thin strips of her black hair shaped her small face, giving her skin a light glow. I was at a lost of words for this woman, and clearly so was everybody else. My hand reached up to pull Sara back. "Who is she?!"

Sara shifted uncomfortably, playing with her fingers and began to chew on her bottom lip, a very attractive stance had I not been awestricken by that unknown woman. Her green eyes looked up before she began to push me off the stage and back to my hiding room. Once the door was shut she crossed her arms and looked at me with serious eyes. "That would be...Riley Janssen..." I stayed silent and raised my left eyebrow, clearly not understand what the problem was. Sara sighed and flung her arms to her sides. "She was known as a witch. She would have a episode almost everyday." I placed my hands in my pockets and leaned closer to her.

"What do you mean, witch? I had never heard of her or her 'episodes' during the time I visited." Sara seemed slight shocked by this and rubbed her chin.

"Well you must have been lucky...anyway, the kids at school would constantly bully her to no end since elementary school. Nobody knew her parents or siblings, if she even had any. She was the definition of a outcaster. She seemed like a normal girl until a little incident during recess that she was forever known as a witch." She stopped and closed her eyes before she continued. "She was by herself, drawing on the ground with white chalk. She didn't catch anybody's attention but some punk kid just randomly came up to her and poured his water bottle over her chalk drawing. Kids will always be kids but she had spent a long time drawing to just have it wash away by a brat." Sara opened her eyes again and looked down at the ground, reliving that day in her eyes. "Riley cried out and without touching the kid, she flung him across the pavement and into a pole...killing him on contact." I cringed and tried to imagine a little girl throwing a boy with her mind, killing him in the process. "As kids we saw her as a witch and kept our distance...until we reached high school. Then everything went downhill for her. She was the main target for all bullies. She never hurt anybody else but she damn well showed us that she could. She would make things fly or throw deadly objects at people."

"Didn't anybody report the strange behavior? It sounds like she has telekinesis to me." Sara shrugged her shoulders. "There is something you're not telling me."

Sara stayed silent for a few seconds before spilling the beans. "The cops were called the first week of freshmen year, it was a complete disaster. Cops were severely injured but there was no deaths. Apparently a girl stolen her wallet and when she tried to get it back she was kicked down to the ground. Riley didn't take to kindly to it and attacked the girl, breaking both of her arms. The police was called and she pushed them back, telling them to go home and that she would kill if they didn't leave her alone." I sighed and took my hand to run my fingers through my hair. "Everybody was too scared to call for help again, if someone had bullied her then it was their death wish but over time people found out that she refused to hurt anybody and began to push her over the edge again."

I was pissed off. This girl was completely alone in this world. No family, no friends...I felt really bad for her but I would have to give her props for being so strong. She managed to not kill anyone and stand tall with her head held high. That is hard to do when you are continuously kicked to the ground, over and over again. This Riley Janssen is a strong woman and I hope that she has the best going for her. A knock on the door told us that the time had come. Sara excused herself, warning me about my surprise appearance. I nodded and turned to the mirror, looking over myself and trying out my smile before I walk out.

* * *

><p>"Hello and welcome everybody!" A loud rupture of applause echoed in the audience as I stood behind the curtain, waiting for her signal. Riley Janssen was still locked in my mind for some reason. I couldn't stop thinking about her. Her story and what she looks like now. "I have the awards here for those who have accomplished so much in such little time!" I had to get ready, my part in this act was coming up. "For now let's start with-"<p>

I poked my head out with a bored expression. "Sorry to interrupt." Woman squealing and gasps went off instantly followed by a applause that was ten times louder that Sara's. "I hope you don't mind but my car broken down and I was hope for a ride tonight." Sara eyed me. That was not what I was suppose to say but I had to spice it up. Women continued to squeal and I saw in the corner of my eye that a few hands were raised. I smiled and turned to face them all, waving and gazing at people who were staring at me like I was a figment of their imagination.

Sara chuckled. "I would like to personally introduce, Tony Stark. He will be passing out the awards to our fellow classmates." My eyes found Riley who stood off to the side, holding a red cup gingerly close. For a brief moment, our eyes were locked and I watched as she raised a questioning eyebrow at me. "So, Mr. Stark..." I slightly jumped and looked over to Sara and smirked.

"Did you want to be in control? I was not informed that I was the one _on top _on things here." She gave me a death glare as I gave a sleazy pickup line. If I was to be dragged here then I was going to damn well have fun with this. "Anyway, I want to congratulate you all for getting this far in life, you did better than my secretary." A few chuckles were heard and I moved closer to Sara. "Ladies first.~"

Sara sigh with a smile and picked up a list. "Right, first off...I want to give the first award and that is for the person who hand the most success."

I couldn't help myself and turned to face her. "I was not aware that you were going to be giving little old me a award tonight. I'm flattered." Everyone laughed and Sara chuckled too.

"Oh no Mr. Stark, this award is not for you but I think we did get you one for 'the most times of losing consciousness and finding themselves in the wrong bed.'" Everyone laughed even harder.

I placed my hands behind my back and rocked on my heels a bit. "Touché." She went back to her list and read off the name. I didn't pay attention until she passed over the slip of paper that was printed with the award's meaning and the name. A beefy man jumped up. The first thing I noticed was that he was bald, and shiny. He grinned and shook my hand before I smiled and handed his award over to him, calling his some unpleasant names in the process. Sara continued to the next award and the next. Several men and a few women came up, shook my hand, took the award, and returned to their seats.

"Okay, the next award is to the most famous artist..." I glanced over and watched as her hands shook slightly. "This award goes to...Riley Janssen..." My head snapped over to the woman in the shadows, along with everybody else in the room. She didn't move for a second before she finally took a step forward. She took slow and graceful steps towards the stage. I was watching her and I took mental note that she watched me as well. When she reached the stairs and began to walk up I caught the sight of the scrawny girl named Melissa snicker and pointing up to the roof. My eyes followed to where she was pointing and I could barely see the silver circle before it suddenly tipped, dropping watery mud all over Riley. She was very shocked as her eyes fell one me. Dark brown eyes looked at me with horror when she slipped and fell on the stage. Sara threw her hands to her face and gasped before every began to laugh uncontrollably. My eyes stayed glued to Riley. Her head was hung, her hair clinging together as water and mud covered her completely. Her beautiful white dress was now a mixture of brown and black. He left ankle was twisted at a odd angle and her elbow were cut up from the fall. Once I was able to process what had happen I was finally aware of the laughter, making my anger boil far over.

"ENOUGH!" The whole room went silent. My fists balled up and I barred my teeth as I sneered at everyone in the room. "What the HELL is wrong with all of you?! Don't you think she had enough of this?!" I walked over and shrugged off my coat. Her head lifted up, her eyes were growing red as tears were threating to run down. "Here, let me help you." I took my coat and wrapped it around her shoulders, not giving a single damn that I was out one coat or that my crappy knees were digging into the sharp, wet rock on the ground. Riley didn't move and allowed me to pick her up with both of my hands. She was as light as a feather but shivering cold. I looked over to the crowd before facing Sara. "I'm leaving, I'll talk to ya' soon." She nodded her head and faced the crowd as I walked off the stage with the young girl in my arms. She didn't speak a single word or even whimper even though she looked like she was going to. Blood found their way from her exposed skin down her arms, pooling into the dirty dress. I walked out the back door and walked over to the limo, hoping in with her still in my arms. "We need to get you to the hospital." Her head shook frantically.

I looked down at her tired eyes. She didn't want to go but still refused to speak. I went over the options in my head: If I took her to a hospital she would get the treatment she needed but she would probably be recognized and shunned. I could just drop her off wherever she lived but I would be responsible if something were to happen to her and I wasn't there to help her. If I took her home with me then I know she would be safe and would be getting the treatment she needed. My eyes looked back down to Riley, her eyes were closed but I could still see the fear in her face. She really didn't want to go to a hospital and I doubt that she would be safe alone at her place.

I sighed heavily and lay my head against the leather seat behind me. "To my place, move it." The diver nodded and began to drive off. Riley's eye shot open and looked at me with confusion and accusing eyes. "This way you will be safe and well treated, you can trust me." Her brows knitted together but relaxed and she finally relaxed her muscles, leaning her head against my chest. I took this opportunity and reached in my pocket to pull out my phone. I pushed a few numbers and call JARVIS.

_Evening Sir, how was your night? _I looked down at Riley again. "Have a extra room prepared and the first aid kit near the front door when I arrive." There was a short silence before he agreed and I hung up. And decided that I was in a need of a quick nap.


	2. Chapter 2

Never in my whole life would I have guessed that I would end up in the arms of Tony Stark. Yeah, I expected something to happen, anything to make me small compared to everybody else. I am strong so I would not let it get to me...but when his eyes soften to me, showing his sympathy towards it I nearly lost all composure. Years of building up that airtight wall to keep everybody out almost came crumbling down by that one stupid action. I was completely disappointed with myself for it. Even though it hurt to know that someone like, Tony Stark could almost break me by just looking at me, I felt something different for the first time. The warmth of his coat that covered my bare and soaked shoulders had given me a chance to relax before I unleashed myself upon the guilty low-life's in the room. The mud sunk deep into my bruised and broken skin, making the icy burn grow by the second. I managed to catch myself before completely falling on the ground but sacrificed my ankle in the process. I was sure that it was severely sprained if not broken but I didn't show any signs of my weakness. I will never show weakness again...

Back to the...problem at hand. Tony Stark. I have heard of him and I am well aware that he is Iron Man, big deal. I didn't think that I would met him, or end up in his arms. But I hated to admit that it felt nice, to be protected. I knew that I would be safe with him and it wasn't because he was a famous superhero or he has contacts with everyone. It was a kind of safe feeling knowing that he is another human being and we understood the problem. I was uncomfortable with people, especially him, and didn't want to be carried around. I felt like a pathetic child. But he somehow was able to sense me being slightly uncomfortable since he moved me to the seat next to him. He would be taking me to where he lived to help me and by this time tomorrow I would be gone from his life, erasing this experience from my mind.

"I know you are not mute...I know you can talk." Without moving my head, my eyes glanced over to Tony who was rubbing his temples. He seemed to be having a headache during this time. He stopped and looked over to me, over eyes locking again. His irises showed me a man who was beyond exhausted but holds to much on his shoulders to even dare let go. I blinked and shook myself from his gaze to look out the window next to me. My body was still shaking from the cold. I didn't hate the cold but being wet wasn't my favorite part of the situation. I remembered the coat around my shoulders and began to try and wrap myself in it like a blanket, desperately wanting to get warmed up. "Here..." My eyes looked and watched as he took the coat off my shoulders, showing me how wet it was. "I don't think that this is going to keep you warm anymore." He chuckled and I raised a eyebrow at him, wondering why the hell this was remotely funny to him.

Tony tossed the beyond ruined coat at the other side of the limo. He raised his hand over to me and stopped when I narrowed my eyes on him. I wasn't sure what he wanted to do but I didn't want him touching me again, it felt too weird. He gave me a small smile. "I was just going to warm up your hands." My eyes glanced down to my fingers for a brief moment before I looked back to him. I had lost the feeling of anything a few minutes ago and I would need to warm them up soon. I carefully twisted my hips around on the leather seat so I could face him more. He didn't move and waited patiently as I gotten myself comfortable. I did respect him for this and decided to trust him.

My hands left my cold lap and went into his one large hand. I felt myself slightly jump when my cold finger tips touched his warm palm. Now I finally had some feeling back into my skin. Tony chuckled and wrapped his other hand over mind, trapping them from escaping his grasp. His warm palms slowly sucked the cold out of my hands, relieving me from the shivers a bit. I watched as his finger carefully rubbed in my skin. He continued to do this until we reached his mansion near the beach.

* * *

><p>I was not amused to say the least. Tony had managed to carry me to the front door and walked us inside. The lights flickered on, temporarily blinding me. I lifted my hands to rub my tired eyes when a strange voice filled the sweet silence. <em>Welcome back, Sir. I have the room prepared right next to your and took the liberty to set up a hot bath for our guest. The first aid kit is resting on the table. <em>I frantically searched the room to find the source of the unnatural voice. My eyes finally landed on the ceiling and Tony's chest vibrated as he chuckled. "Thank you JARVIS. You don't need to worry, he's my AI." I let my hair fall into my face and nodded my head. I wasn't sure what a AI was and felt a little embarrassed about but I also wasn't willing to let him know that. Tony walked down the hallway that led into a largely spread out living room that was larger that my whole apartment. It was fairly simple but high class, it was nice and I took notice that it was mostly white. I found my fingers had begun to twitch so I tore myself from the white room.

Tony turned away from the room and walked over to a elevator, pressing a button and sending us up to where his room is to be. The elevator hummed a soft tune before we reached the floor and he walked out. "Okay, that is my room here." He motioned his head to a large, white door to our right as we walked by. A few more steps later and we reached another door. "This is where you can stay." Tony stood in front of the door and I jumped when it opened by itself. Tony began to laugh at me again and walked inside. "No need to be so jumpy, JARVIS will help you out." The room was white with a mix of a light champagne hues, leaving a artist like me to hold back the urge to draw or paint over everything. To me, anything that was white was like a unused canvas. The color white represents purity, to me to says 'Draw on me! I'm boring!'

I had to say that it was a nice looking room besides the tormenting colors. A large bed, that was white, sat in the middle of the room against the far wall. A small table was set on each side with a clock and random book on one of the tables. There was a small window near another door with the curtains blocking the view of the outside. Tony stepped inside and walked over to the other door that led into a large bathroom. It was all porcelain white. A sink was to our left with towels resting on a basket that sat near the bathtub. Tony sat me on the edge and I found that the Ai was telling the truth when he said that the bath was already prepared. Bubbles rested gingerly and I could still see a bit of steam coming from the crystal water. "Alright, lets get you out of these-" Tony went and tried to grasp my legs but out of habit I leaned back and kicked his chest, pushing him to the floor. He was a little surprised and so was I to be telling the truth. I was use to people trying to attack or provoke me that it had become a natural instinct to want to protect myself in anyway. Tony shook his head and rubbed a spot over his admen when I had got him.

I instantly felt very bad and tried to get up but my ankle refused to assist me with my weight and balance so I stayed put, watching his expression. It changed from shock to confused and went to amusement before he settled on the ground in front of me, crossing his legs. "I'm not going to hurt you. I need to release the pressure of your injured ankle from those boot or else you are going to have to deal with some serious pain." I narrowed my eyes on him, wondering how he knew that my ankle was in bad condition. I made sure to hide it from him well. But it made sense why he started carrying me. He wanted to keep myself from making the injury worse by forcing myself to walk around. I hated to admit it but he was right. With a small sigh the leaked from my nose I turned and nodded slowly at him.

Tony smiled and took a hold of my left leg, being careful not to touch any sore spots around my foot. His fingers untied the strings and loosened them, releasing a bit of pressure. He used his left hand to hold my leg under my knee and used his other hand to grasp the bottom of my heel. "Are you ready?" I looked into his eyes and found that they were almost the exact same color as my own. I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth together before nodding my head. I felt the fake leather began to slide off as he pulled the boot. I had to bend my ankle so it would slide off easier but that didn't mean I was safe from the pain. My body shook and I refused to cry or whimper, I was made to be strong so I ignored the pain. Finally, after a few torturing seconds, the boot had come off. I sucked in a breath of air before daring to look and see how bad the damage was. Tony stared at my ankle and I followed suit, cringing.

The whole area was black and blue, bits of the color speckled on the top of my foot. The muscles around the bone had swollen up badly. It was a all around hideous mess so I turned away. "Yeah...I think that you might have broken your ankle." I wanted to smack him and yell at him 'You think?!' but I kept myself still. Tony sighed and reached up to take a white towel on the basket. With it still folded Tony placed it on the floor and slowly placed my ankle on top of it. The simple action alone made me shudder from the pain that racked my body. Before I could see what he was doing, Tony left the room. I didn't know what he was doing but I dropped it and began to undress myself. Taking the disgusting dress, I threw it across the room to have lade on the tile floor with a 'Flop!'

* * *

><p>I sighed with content as the hot water warmed up by body that had almost turned into a frozen sculpture. My ankle rest on top of the tub with the towel underneath it. I just rested myself in the water, forcing myself to forget the events of the night. All I wanted to do was go home, heal myself and go to sleep before going back to my art. I had adapted the power to heal myself and others shortly after I had turned thirteen. It was a power given to me by a god. He said that he was disgusted with the fact that I was a slow healer so it was suppose to be given to me as a reckless gift. I had realized that I would need to use it everyday so I had the power greatly enhanced and I could heal almost every wound. By now I would've healed it and gone on with my life but with Tony Stark here I wasn't so sure that this was a good idea.<p>

I know he was part of a organized group that had stopped the end of the world a little while back. I was shortly interested in it but the fear of what they would do to me kept me to stay as far as I could away from them all. I didn't want people experimenting on me, I was terrified of it to say the least.

"Hello?" I sunk deeper into the water until the rim reached my nose, eyeing the man in the doorway. He seemed a little nervous while he held some clothing and a white box in his hands. "Don't worry, I won't peek. I'm just going to bandage you up." He walked in and placed the clothing on the sink before he sat on the edge of the tub, next to my resting ankle. He looked it over again before opening up the box and began to pull out everything he wanted. Guilt was forming for the first time. He was doing so much to help me, not knowing that I really could just help myself. So I began arguing with myself in my head, fighting if I should tell him or just let him help me. "Umm? Are you still with us?" My eyes looked up and I felt my muscles in my face tighten up. I forced my face to relax and sat up straighter in the tub. The warm water rocked back and forth before I finally found a comfortable spot. Tony was watching me intently, not daring to move. I began to bite the inside of my cheeks as I wanted to kick myself for doing this. Why, why, why?

I took my foot and brought it close to me. My arms rested against my leg as I placed the tips of my fingers on each side of the bone. With one deep breath I began to imagine the shape of the bone and how it was constructed. The image of the broken bone began to fix itself like a puzzle. My fingers grazed over my bruised skin and the creamy color began heal back. It took around a minute for everything to go back to the way to was before.

A smile curved on my lips when I felt myself free from the pain of the broken ankle. It felt good and I opened my eyes to look over my work. It had been completely healed up, leaving not a single blemish behind. I was satisfied with my work and turned my gaze over to Tony. He was frozen, staring at my ankle with a perplexed expression. He seemed to be chewing on his cheek as he still held the bandages in his hands. A awkward silence filled the air for a minute until Tony blew out a mouthful of air while making a annoying sound. I was slightly startled by this act and found myself scooting back to the far side of the tub, sinking myself deep in the water in a effort to hide myself from his judging eyes.

Tony stood up and tossed everything that was in his hands over his shoulders. Placing his hands on his hips he looked at me in the eye with a bored expression. "Well...I can see that I'm useless to ya'." He seemed to be picking on me with the small smirk that was planted on his face. "Alrighty then! I will just leave ya' now." Tony turned around and was about to leave. I don't know what came over me but I soon found myself jumping half-way out of the water, spilling it over the tile floor. My arm was outstretched for him but no words came out. I wanted him to stay but I still refused to talk, I couldn't.

Tony stopped and looked over his shoulder at me with his eyebrow raised. I suddenly felt weird as his eyes looked over me. I pushed myself back into the water, very aware that some of the heat had risen to my cheeks. I couldn't fathom why I was suddenly acting this way. I had never wanted anyone to just be near me before, it was a new feeling that I wasn't sure I was liking. We stayed still for a while, watching each others emotions.

Tony sighed and gave me a small smile and turned half-way around. "I will stay...if you tell me your name." My eyes narrowed on him. He knew my name and yet he wanted me to tell him? "I want to hear it from you." My eyes stayed on him, wondering his he was a mind reader or something. I didn't see any harm in this except my promise I had made years ago...I was not speak another word until he returned. After nearly five years later I was going to have to accept the fact that I was not to be seeing him anymore and I was being ridiculous thinking that he would come back.

I opened my mouth and licked my dry lips, blinking a few times. Tony walked over and keeled next to me, our eyes level with each other. "...Riley...Janssen." My quiet voice filled our ears. It was the first time I had heard my own voice in years, I had almost forgotten what it sounded like. It was a bit scratchy and came out like a whisper but it was also soft like silk. I liked it and found myself smiling at Tony unconsciously. He smiled back and lifted his large hand out to me to shake. My hand was much smaller compared to his but my long fingers made up for it.

"Hello Riley, I am Tony Stark. A billionaire, playboy and who is also Iron Man. Nice to met you."

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><p>Wow...what a man-whore. He had tried sneaking in ways to see me naked while he would talk about his life as Iron Man. It wasn't bad but very annoying and kind of piggish. I didn't say anything else but listened to his stories, occasionally smacking him if he was getting too close for comfort. When minutes went by he got up and handed me a towel before leaving to give me some privacy, with little effort. Once I gotten myself wrapped in the towel I looked over to see just how much dirt was suck to me. The water had become a muddy swamp. That was not attractive so I leaned over and pulled the plug, draining the water but leaving the mud behind. I sighed loudly and was about to manually wash the dirt. <em>There is no need to clean that up, Miss. I will take care of that. <em>I froze and remembered that it was the AI talking. I looked up to the ceiling and smiled before going over to the sink and picking up the clothes that Tony had left behind for me.

I lifted up a black button up shirt that could almost act as a dress for me. With the shirt there was a pair of matching black sweatpants that were far too large for me. Going over the lack of options in my mind and taking a quick glance at my dress I decided to put them on. I used the towel around my body to finish drying my hair before placing it on the sink. I gripped the sweatpants and slipped them on and making sure to double knot them so they wouldn't fall. My hands touched the soft shirt, feeling the silkiness before pulling it over my head. The sleeves went well past my finger tips so I rolled them up a few times before finally stepping out of the bathroom and into my bedroom.

There was no sigh of Tony and I wondered if I should find him or go straight to sleep. _Mr. Stark is in the kitchen, waiting for you Miss. _I narrowed my eyes to the ceiling, catching a glimpse of a black speck in the corner, telling me that there was a camera hidden. I found that it was kind of creepy but understandable. I nodded my head and walked out the door while the AI gave me the directions of where I was suppose to go. I took the elevator down and found myself back into the main room before I listened and followed my next directions. Across the room had a door that led to the kitchen. I walked over and carefully opened the door just as I heard a loud crash.

"Damnit!"

I walked in and found half of the floor covered in broken shards of what may have been a bowel. I watched as Tony scratched the top of his head and shrugged his shoulders at me. "Stay there...this might take a while." I shook my head and focused all of my attention at the offending glass. The glass shards began to shake slightly before hovering a few feet into the air. Tony stayed silent and watched the glass. My eyes darted around to figure out a place to put the broken glass until I saw Tony opening his trashcan. I nodded and carefully lead the pieces into the bin and tied up the bag for the just-in-case. Once I was done Tony clapped his hands and smirked at me. "Thanks, that was a lot of help and a great time savor." I nodded my head and walked over to a table and slid into a chair. Tony opened a small fridge and pulled out a tub of ice cream and a small glass of ice. I raised my eyebrow and watched as he moved gracefully along the kitchen. He slid over to a cabinet and grabbed a red jar and large bottle of chocolate syrup. My mouth watered, anticipating something delicious to be coming out of this. My eyes followed Tony back to the kitchen bar as he pulled out a fancy blender. He smiled and glanced over to me. "Would you like a milkshake?" I licked my lips and nodded frantically. I loved milkshakes and I had a feeling that he knows how to make the best shakes. His hands grasped the glass of ice and poured it into the blender. He grabbed a scooper and took out a few large scoops of vanilla ice cream and dropped it in the blender next. He popped the top of the syrup and glanced back at me. "Do you like a lot of chocolate?"

I couldn't believe that he was asking a woman if I liked a lot of chocolate. I gave him my best 'No duh!' expression and giggled when Tony pulled back a bit. "Okay! Most of the women I bring here don't like a lot of chocolate." Tony squirted the syrup, coating the ice and the ice cream with the dark brown chocolate. He pressed the button and the room was filled with a ear-bleeding noise. It was beyond loud but it stopped after a few seconds, creating a perfect mixture of chocolate milk shakes. Tony smiled and I could barely hear him hum a tune to himself. He pulled out two large glasses and began to pour the shakes in each glass, filling them up to the rim. He picked up the red jar and popped it open, pulling out some cherries. "Would you like some?" I lifted two fingers and he chuckled. "Yes, Mam." Once he had everything put away he walked over to the table and sat next to me but stayed at a good distance for me.

For the rest of the night Tony and I sipped on our shakes. He would occasionally try to get me to say something but I just smirked and ignored him. I felt at ease when I was with him. It began to make me feel happy that I trusted him. Tony was quiet the talker but I didn't stop him when he got going. He was far too interesting to stop. After a hour and a half went by we left and he escorted me back to my room, leaving me with a bright smile and a night that I would never forget.

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><p><strong>To Broken Infinity: I'm glad you like this so much and thank you for pointing out about the grammar errors. I, unfortunately, have horrible spelling and you probably will find more mistakes to come. :] I will try to correct them more!~ Enjoy!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up the next morning with the weather new being listed to me by JARVIS, although I never listened I did enjoy the fact the JARVIS does try. My eyes closed tightly shut and I rolled over so I could shove my head under my pillow. I found that I wasn't as tired as I usually was every morning and enjoyed the sensation of easiness within my mind. I mean a brilliant genius, such as myself, needs to have mornings like this more often. I soon found my eyes opening by themselves and staring at the large window, well more like a door, that gave a beautiful view of the coast. A few seconds went by and I started to realize that something was a bit off than usual. I didn't have a hangover. That was a new one for me so I pushed myself on my arms and knees, trying to remember what happened last night. Another surprise came to me as the memories actually came to me. My legs swivel over to the edge and I ran my fingers through my hair. "Oh shit..." I blinked a few times as the memories of the high school reunion flashed in my head along with the cruel prank that hurt a young woman...Riley. I gripped the sheets on my body and threw them to the farthest part of the room, not really caring about anything except for the woman in the next room over. My feet planted on the incredibly soft carpet beneath me, wondering how the hell I could not have notice the softness before. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts I took a few strides over to my bathroom and walked right up to the sink, taking a look at myself in the mirror.

My eyes weren't blood shot, they were crystal clear. The normal bags under my eyes were slightly faded, showing signs that I had actually slept a decent amount of sleep for the first time in a while. My hand reached up and I began to massage my cheeks, making sure that I was really awake and not having a easy dream for once. For many months now I would constantly dream of being held captive again and tortured endlessly. The pain that I would receive in my dreams would often follow me when I wake up afterwards, making it hard for me to get connected to reality. But today, I was safe and okay. _Sir? Do I need to notify your counselor?_ My eyes lifted up to my ceiling. "And why would I need to talk to my counselor?" There was a small pause and I had wondered if JARVIS was having a slight malfunction of being a smartass. _Sir, you are smiling like you 'got laid' when you most certainly did not. I beginning to think that you might have finally lost your marbles._ My arms crossed over my chest while I debated to reply to his remark with a honest answer or go with being a pain in the ass. My eyes looked over my figure in the mirror, noting how good I looked this morning, before I finally gave a answer.

"I think I will be fine JARVIS. I just had a good nights slept. Now I'm going to go and get buzzed up before the day burns out on me." If it was possible to hear someone roll their eyes then I heard it loud and clear. _Very good Sir._ I left my bathroom and went over to my overly large walk-n closet. My fingers brushed against my shirts that hung on the rack while my eyes were trying to find something decent to wear. 'Something to impress Riley.' My feet stopped as I reached the end of row, mentally smacking myself for thinking like that. "It must be my playboy side coming out conditionally." I found a dark red shirt that had a image of Iron Man's outer lines drawn out in yellow. I couldn't remember how I had gotten this shirt but it had something to do with a drinking game with other men. I shivered at the foggy memory and pulled it off form the hanger and threw it on. I left my closet and went over to my dresser, pulling out a pair of black, worn-out jeans that hung loosely on my hips. I loved wearing these while at a good party and thought that it might not be a good choice of clothing to wear after the day I had planned after hanging out with Riley last night. But then I thought that nothing I wore would ever be bad at anytime of the day. When I had made the milkshakes last night I had time to look Riley over and check her out.

She was very pretty and her voice was nothing that I could ever expect to come out of her. With her small figure and her shy attitude, I figured that it would be small or quiet.

I was wrong...so wrong.

Her voice was smooth. There was a hit of crogginess but it was beautiful to say the least. Her voice wasn't shy, it was commanding and held dignity which led me to wonder all night why she wouldn't talk. Hell, I was lucky to get her to say her own name. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with her voice or the way she said her name, so what was it?

My toes curled into the carpet before picking up my phone and wallet that sat at the side table next to my bed. "Hey JARVIS, how is Riley doing?" My fingers worked the latch of my watch together as I waited for his reply. _Miss Janssen is wide awake and is currently wondering what she is suppose to do. _My eyebrow rose for a moment before I frowned. "She told you that...I wonder how long she has been up." I walked over to the door and had just began to open it when JARVIS spoke up again. _Sir, if I may? Miss Janssen seems unsure about something, as if she is awaiting for something terrible to happen. _My hand froze just before I touched the doorknob, slightly shocked by this news. Riley was scarred here, in Iron Man's home. That wasn't okay I needed to fix that immediately.

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><p>My knuckles gently rasped the door that led to Riley's room, knocking three times. There was a long pause of silence before I began to knock louder. My body began to rock on the balls of my feet as I waited to hear a response from her. After some time I looked up to the camera at the end of the hallway, nodding to JARVIS to open the door for me. The latch of the door unlocking was the only sound in the whole building and that somehow gave me a strong vibe that something was not okay. My finger tips carefully pushed the cool door back, revealing a semi-dark room. The curtains were drawn together, keeping most of the sun's rays from entering the white room. My feet took a few steps inside while I tried to locate Riley, so far I couldn't see anything. I walked over to the window and pulled back the curtains so I could let the sun in. I didn't realize how cold the room was until I was bathed in the warm light of the sun outside. 'Did she sleep like this all night?'<p>

My head turned towards the bed. The sheets and blanket were barely disturbed, as if she didn't sleep in it at all. My eyes darted around the room to find the small woman with freaky powers. I walked over to the door to the bathroom as it opened wide, half starling me. I brought my hand up to run my fingers through my hair. "Holy crap, you scarred me." Riley stood there with an unsure expression. Her eyes didn't meet mine and stayed at my chest. For a minute I thought she was looking at the arc reactor in my chest but her eyes didn't even focuse on that. Her hands kept wringing out the other, shaking a bit. "Are you alright?..." Riley slowly nodded her head and didn't move and speak, as usual. My eyes glanced over to the bed before turning back to her. "Did you sleep okay?" She glanced over to the bed and nodded her head again.

For some reason I believed her to be a liar. I could tell that something was eating at her so I took a step forward. My hands slowly reached over and took hers so I could led her back to the bed, motioning for her to sit. She followed orders but still refused to look at me and that made me a bit more upset. "Hey, what's up?" Her hands stilled in her lap as her foot began to tap the floor, telling me that she was nervous about something. I found myself sighing and I knelt down on the ground. Her eyes finally looked at me. I made a small smile and she copied me. "I can tell that you didn't sleep in the bed. Something is on your mind, care to share...'cause you know,...sharing is caring, right?" She looked out the window and her lips parted the slightest. My eyes stayed glued on her lovely pink lips that are small but plump, a perfect feature for her beautiful face.

I felt a tap on my nose that broke my train of thoughts. I shook and looked back to her eyes that seemed to have shown a glimpse of fear. I wasn't sure if I have imagined it or not but I was not going to ignore this. "Riley please, I can help." She gave me a small smirk and stood from the bed, offering her hand to me. This felt kind of familiar but we needed to switch places first. Riley seemed to not want to talk but her mood was improved and that is the only reason that I was going to let this go. I smiled at her and accepted her hand to stand up. Her hands were not as smooth as they looked. They were strong and daunting, I liked it.

I placed my hands on my hips and I showed her my cheeky smile. "Alrighty then! I need you to get ready, we have quite a day a head of us and I don't want to wait any longer." Her eyes grew wide as she gawked at me like I was insane, which I was but that was besides the point. "You need to get dressed 'cause we are heading out soon for breakfast and then I will take you anywhere you want to go." She didn't say anything, as expected, as she left the room to go to the bathroom, bringing back the dress she wore yesterday. It was a complete mess that looked as if it was used to clean cars at a junk yard. Her facial expression told me that she was not amused before she threw it back into the bathroom. When she faced me again her hands were on her hips.

It took me a second to realize that problem as my eyes looked over the clothes I had given her to wear. My palm slapped against my forehead. "Oh Damnit! I didn't think of that, you need clothes!" My head raced to think and all I could come up with was just to buy her some new ones. _Sir, I believe that Miss Potts still has some of her outfits here. Miss Janssen might be able to fit into them._ I looked up to JARVIS and gave him a thumbs up. "Great idea!" I reached over and grasped Riley's hand and dragged her out of the room.

We went back to my room and I placed her on my bed. I noticed that she eyed the sheets but ignored them when I went into my closet. "She has to have some of her shirts here somewhere." My hands pushed the hangers to the side, back and forth, looking for Pepper's button shirts or a tank top at least. So far I didn't find anything and I began to wonder what happen to them all. "Well that can't be good." I took a step back and ran into Riley. I looked at her and she gave me the most heart felt smile I could ever see. Her eyes were big and her pink lips reached her ears. I couldn't understand why she was acting like this until I saw the shirt she was holding, it was one of my favorites.

Riley pulled the Black Sabbath t-shirt that was all black except the album cover which was a faded gold. I took it from her and gave her a questioning look. "You like this band?" Her head bounced up and down before she took the shirt away from me. Riley smirked and left the closet and went over to my dresser. I was a little surprised and felt a bit useless again when she pulled out a pair of Pepper's slack from the bottom draw. They were the same color black that looked like that they would be a perfect fit. Riley draped the shirt and slacks over her arm and looked over at me expectantly. I chuckled and crossed my arms. "Well, if you can help yourself then go ahead and get dressed. The day is fading quickly so hurry up." She nodded and left the room. Probably heading from her bathroom.

I couldn't stop the smile that made itself known on my lips. She is a cute woman, hard to believe the kind of power that she beholds. I uncrossed my arms and went over to place my socks and shoes on. Once I checked everything I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. I pulled it out and ironically it was Pepper. A deep feeling of depression and regret settled in my heart after seeing the caller ID. We had a great relationship going for a while but after everything that had happened when Loki terrorized our world we had to break it off. She had issues to deal with herself and left me about a month ago. We haven't talked since then and I didn't want to start today when I was trying to get Riley to talk.

Yep! That was my ultimate plan for today. Operation: Getting Riley to speak!

* * *

><p>We sat in silence as the limo took us to a restaurant. I had to say that Riley wearing my favorite shirt looked really well on her. It was big and stretched passed her small butt but it only made her look even cuter. The black slack clung to her legs, showing off the small curves that she possesses. I almost felt jealous how good she looked casual. I was even more casual and I started to think that I should've put something a little better on than I was wearing. Riley looked over to me and rose her eyebrow at me. 'Damn, she caught me starring.' I chuckled and smiled at her. She smiled back and lifted her hand, motioning her wrist to write. I smirked and shook my head. "Nope, if you want to say something you have to actually say it." She frowned and looked over to the driver. She smirked and leaned forward, pulling out a small notepad and pen from the front seat. She sat a little straighter and looked over at me. I scoffed and crossed my arms. "Fine, you got me."<p>

I watched as she quickly began to write something down before handing it over to me. I looked over it.

_"I like your shirt. Your arc reactor under it make the head of Iron Man almost have a halo. It's really cool!"_

My lips smiled and I looked down and sure enough, she was right. The light from my arc reactor gave the outline of Iron Man's head have a white halo. We both chuckled and I handed the pad back to her. "Very observant of you. Even I didn't catch that." Riley seemed pretty proud of herself and settled back in her seat comfortably.

It only took a few more minutes before we reached the restaurant. I glanced over to Riley before we got out and I watched as her smile slowly faded away. She grew a little tense but hid it well. I began to feel a little frustrated that she could go from being happy and carefree to shut off and nonexistent to our world. My hand reached over and took her hand that was about wring the other. "Come on, I'm starving for food." She nodded and walked with me, my hand still holding hers.

We walked in the restaurant and before I could even get someone's attention I saw a wave of a small hand at the back. I recognized the hand and gripped Riley's hand a little harder as I began to direct her through the tables to get over to Sara. She smiled at me as I slid into the booth and Riley followed. There was a slight shocked expression on Sara's face when she noticed that Riley was with me. Neither of them spoke so I decided to break the silence. "So, how did the rest of the party go?" Sara tore her attention on Riley and looked at me with a deep sigh.

"Not so good. I refused to give away the rest of the awards and tried to convince them to leave her alone. Needless to say, they were not happy and trashed the place before leaving." My eyes widen on Sara and my teeth gritted together. Sara looked back at Riley. "I'm...I'm very sorry. I didn't know that they were going to pull off something like that. If I had known-" Riley shook her head and gave us a fake smile. Sara leaned forward. "No, it was my job to make sure that everything went accordingly. If something like that was going to happen then I should've known and I would've put a stop to it instantly. I'm very sorry." Riley nodded her head and pulled out the pad and pen before showing it to us.

_"It's alright. I don't blame you and I don't blame anybody. It was a nice party while it lasted."_

Sara and I smiled at the note. Riley placed the pad in her lap and I threw my arms over her shoulders, bringing her closer. "We had fun last night anyway! I make a mean milkshake!-" Riley's elbow collided with my ribs and I found myself shutting up quickly. Sara giggled and a waitress came over.

"What can I help you with today?" The waitress was incredibly skinny who looks like she is addicted to getting in a tanning booth. I found her a little gross but kept my mouth shut. Sara lifted the menu and picked out some simple pancakes while I wanted their breakfast special with a coffee. She wrote everything down and began to walk off until I caught her attention.

"Hey, she is hungry too." I motioned to Riley who kept her gaze at the menu on the table, not making any move to look at anybody.

The waitress sneered at her and placed her hands on her hips. "We don't serve _her_, nobody here serves _her_." And she walked off. To say I was pissed would be the understatement of the year. My hands balled into fists and I looked at Sara, our eyes meeting before we both looked at Riley.

We didn't say anything for a while. The distant conversations of the restaurant was the only sounds that was heard. And it wasn't long before I realized that the conversations with the other people were about Riley. I never realized how much people could hate one person, and for no reason at all. I wanted to yell at them to shut up but a gentle hand on my arm instantly relaxed my tightened muscles and racing thoughts. My eyes looked over to Riley and watched her pink lips smile softly at me. She handed me the pad.

_"Don't worry about it. It's not all bad. You just have to learn to cancel out their voices."_

I was surprised how strong she was and decided to follow her advice and block out the voices around us, soon there was just Sara, Riley, and I in the building. The silence was nice and it wasn't much longer when our food came around. I had a large plate of pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, toast, and golden hash browns. I took the smaller plate that had my toast to put half of my pancakes and a sausage link. My hand pushed it over to Riley who questioned the plate before her. Our eyes met and I smirked. "You really think that I was going to eat this by myself?" Riley continued to stare and it finally clicked in my head.

She really did expect that.

Riley took the jar of syrup and drenched her plate with it before beginning to chow down. I was relieved and began to eat myself, enjoying my black coffee. The food was great but the service sucked ass. I made a personal note to never come here again as I quickly finished off my food, using my toast to soak up the rest of the bits before shoving it in my mouth. My back leaned against the seat and my hands rubbed my stomach. Sara shook her head at me and looked at Riley. "How was it?" Riley began to write as I took out my credit card. Sara went to reject it when she saw it. I rose my hand to silence her. She hesitantly retreated back and looked to Riley.

_"The food was really good! Thanks again!"_

Sara smiled warmly and we all got out of the booth. I had paid the waiter and didn't bother with giving much for a tip than what was expected. We exited the restaurant quickly and I waved Sara off telling her that I would be harassing her over the phone soon. Sara actually flipped me the bird before walking off to her car and we went to the limo. We sat down and I smiled at Riley. "Okay, so where would you like to go?" She didn't hesitate to write and my stomach did a small flip when her beautiful smile was back where it belonged.

_"If you don't mind, I want to go back to my apartment. There is something I want to show you."_

I raised my eyebrow and gave her a charming smirk. "Well if that was all you wanted to do then we just could've stayed at my place." Her faced heated up instantly and quickly wrote something else on her pad.

_"THAT WAS NOT WHAT I MEANT YOU PERVERT!"_

I laughed hard and clenched my sides when I felt a cramp pulling at my muscles. "Okay, haha...I'm sorry but I couldn't help it." I took a chance to get a breath of air before continuing. "Alrighty, lets head over to your place and see what you want to show me." Riley nodded her head but the redness of her cheeks didn't falter and she directed us to where she lived.

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><p>We drove down several streets when I got a call from JARVIS. "Hey what's up?" <em>Sir, your shipment of your liquor has arrived. Shall I direct him to your storage and tip him on the way out? <em>I had forgotten about my order and smiled at the thought of being able to have a good, stiff drink when I get back home. "Yes, that's great JARVIS." _Very good, Sir. I will await for your arrival and have your favorite already made for you. _"Thanks JARVIS." I hung up the phone and looked out the window, observing a fire that seemed to broke out in the distance. "Damn...I wonder what happened." My head turned to see what Riley thought but my heart dropped at her expression.

Riley's mouth was partly open. Her eyes were wide and gaped at the fire. Her hand shook in her lap, struggling. I leaned over and attempted to touch her but she jumped and scooted to the farthest part of the limo. I froze and felt slightly hurt. Her hand frantically wrote something on the pad, tear drops falling onto the paper.

_"THAT'S MY PLACE!"_


	4. Chapter 4

My whole world had crumbled apart within seconds of gazing at the fire. I had lived my whole life within that small appartment space for as long as I could remember. Even though that isn't that long, it didn't matter to me. That place meant a lot to me. I felt my eyes water as my stomach lurtched. I knew something like this would happen one day, and I had been prepared for it. But not while I was away from my home. Everything that held a great meaning to me was locked away in my room where it would be safe. Now I feared that I would lose everything in an instant. Tony looked from the fire and then to me, question in his eyes as I kept my gaze on the fire. "What's wrong?"

Everything!

I wanted to tell him that one single word that held so much more meaning to it. Everything was wrong; people who hated me because of something that I obtained, emotions making me weak and defenseless growing up, fear that made others lash out on me, and my heart that held me back from acting out like a way a monster should. Everything is wrong for this little monster and I had about enough of this. I gripped the paper pad in my hands and began to scribble down what was wrong, at the moment.

_"THAT IS MY PLACE!"_

The black lines that formed the letters deeply engraved to the next sheet of paper beneath it. Tony looked over and read my note before snapping his attention over the the driver. "Happy! Step on it!" The limo slightly jerked back but I paid no mind to it. All my focuse was the large, metal box in my room that was on fire right now. The box containing everything that has kept me strong and alive to this very moment in life. If I lost that box then I would lose my sanity and eventually my life as well. The warm touch of a hand pulled me away from my thoughts so I could look to Tony, not realizing how much I was shaking. "It's okay, I promise." His words did little to comfot me. I knew that it wasn't going to be alright or okay. My thoughts went right back to all of the times I had spent painting, sketching, and designing in that little space. My mind would always, and still does, come up with ideas about different aspects of people and our reality. When I began growing up I would spend as much of my free time as I could just drawing. Then my drawings turned into paintings and I was finally able to find myself a little bit of happiness for myself.

Right as I turned into a young woman I had developed a unique talent to almost create life with my artistic abilities. I had amazed myself, and my mentor at the time, far beyond what I was expecting. When I was a child I had only one supernatural power that singled me out from the rest of the children. Over time I had developed more unique abilities and was even given one as a gift. I hated this for the longest time but I had to learn to let go after figuring out that there was nothing I could do to take them away. I had accepted it as it was my fate and decided that I was going to use them to my benefit, no matter what anyone else would think.

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><p>The limo finally pulled to a stop right next to a crowd of people who stared up at the fire with smiles on their faces. I didn't hesitate to jump out and take a closer look. The firefighters were already on the scene but stood there and did nothing. I was furious and began to push my way through the crowd, not bothering to look at their scowles and listen to the harsh curses they would holler at me. My feet pulled to a stop next to the firefighters. They glanced down at me before walking away and heading back to the truck. My fingers curled into the palms of my hand, the nails biting at my flesh as I made tight fits. I had to go in there and nothing was going to stop me. With a sudden rush of energy, I sprinted forward and broke down the door that led inside the building. Hot flames that melted and burn everything it touched swarmed me and made a baracade at the entance. I knew that there was no way of going back but I could find another way out.<p>

I pushed myself forward and covered my mouth and nose with my hand, keeping from some of the Hell's air from my lungs. My body sprinted up the steps to the very top of the apartment. I had lived at the very top of the building, and I mean very top. I lived in the attic, hating that it was such a long ways up. I noticed that the fire had eaten away most of the steps, leaving gaping holes in the staircase as I went farther up. After some time I began to feel myself choaking and coughing hard. I didn't realize how much smoke had gotten in my lungs and began to feel dizy. I wanted to get out of there but I needed to get my box, even if it meant my life in the end.

My spare hand caught the side of the wall when the floor beneath me began to collapse. I jumped up and turned over my shoulder to see how far I had gotten. The small pieces of wood had been engulfed by the flames on the botton floor, leaving nothing behind. I shook my head and pressed farther up. I was so close, only another story to go and I would make it. Unfortunately I had took a gasp for air whne the floor fell and now my vision began to fade. For a split second I thought that I was going to die. My hand on the wall was slipping and my knees were caving in from exhaustion. My head lifted up to see the door that lead to my small home, my world that I had spent years protecting. I was scared and angry at myself for letting this happen. I had prepared for this, or so I thought anyway. The stairs started to shake so I looked down. The wood was getting inhaled from the red flames behind me and that was enough of a push to get myself up.

My feet stumbled and my balance was far from generous but all I needed to do was keep going. I looked at the door and saw that most of it was gone and was burned with a ugly shade of black. I took this oppertunity to use thae last of my strength and jump over the burned down door, landing on a questionable piece of the flooring that was creaking and shaking from my sudden assault. My eyes took in the images of the room, cursing at the image that would permately stay in my head. My canvases of all sizes were now firewood, broken into several pieces. The images of all my hard work was getting eaten away by the greedy fire. It was a painful sight. I wanted to cry but I had to wait. I looked over the room and found a pile of ashes where my matress was and carefully headed for it. Within that were things that I cherished deeply. My feet scooted across the unstable floor as I made my way to the wall. The floor had shook slightly but I ran the rest of the way just before it crumbled to nothing.

I fell on my knees and coughed hard. I needed fresh air now but I could tell that there was no going back. The floor around me had caved in, leaving a large open pit of fire that looked like a way to the gates of Hell. That was when I realized that the fire had started here. Tears fell from my eyes from the burning pain of my poisoned lungs. I was dying here today with little to be happy for, execpt a chance to get away from all of this. I wanted to sit and cry. The roaring of flames pushed me closer to the wall that was also burned down mostly. A large hole was close enough to look over and inside. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. The box was still there, untouched by the unforgiving flames. My hand reached over to grab a hold of it but pulled back instantly as the hot metal stained my fingers with burning flesh. I had gotten so close and I couldn't even take it. I opened my mouth to cry out, cursing the all mighty being above us for doing this to me. I wanted to use my voice at full strength for the first time in years.

But I couldn't. I still had a promise to keep and I would keep it to my dying breath. So I rested my head against the wall and trailed my eyes over to the fire pit, watching as they danced and mocked me for being so weak. I had let my guard down with Tony Stark and now I was paying the price for it. My thoughts drifted over to Tony. I wondered if he was okay and what he was doing now. He could've tried getting inside but would have failed. I started to get worried and prayed that he was okay and safe. Tony was a good man and I deeply respected him for it. A smile tugged on my lips as I remembered last night, him talking over milkshakes while trying to get me to talk. It was a cute effort and I relished in that memory. I remembered the look he gave the waitress for ignoring me and the way he reacted as he shared his food with me. He seemed to realize something and I did too.

I didn't think anyone had noticed this but when something would click in his mind his dark eyes would almost glisten. It was like a star had shined at the right moment and let itself know of it's existence. I almost blush now at the thought. I loved his eyes that reminded me of forbidden liquor that you can't help but get sucked into the curiosity. Tony had done so much for me and I wanted to repay him for it...now I would never have that chance. I let my last bit of fresh air escape my lips, letting go of the pain and memories. My eyes started to drift slowly, my ears ignoring the unusual sounds that caressed my body. That was until I felt a cool brush of air run across my skin. I wasn't expecting it and turned over to the box again. Smiling at the last memory of my beloved mentor taking my hand and dancing with me that night...the night when time stood still.

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><p>My lifeless body hovered above nothing. I was the only existence in a place where nothing dwells. Blackness surrounded me, comforting me. I felt dead but almost alive too. I didn't breath any air, didn't need to. My heart refused to beat inside my body, leaving me still. I should feel cold, or hot, something but for some reason I didn't feel anything except the darkness. There was no warmth to allow me to get any closer to understand where I am and why. I should be dead now, the smoke from the fire ending my existance. Yet I'm here, in this seemingly endless void. No where to go and nothing to do but stare at the emptiness in front of me, not daring to blink for I might miss something.<p>

"Riley?..." A distance voice echoed off nothing as a voice filled the emptiness. I wondered who spoke to me and why. I am perfectly content here. I didn't want to go back to the world of reality. I didn't want to continue living in the world of pain, nowhere to go. At least being in this black void I could be relieved of the meaningless suffering.

"Please...come back..." The strange voice spoke again, a bit more demanding than the last time. I wanted to frown but I couldn't feel my lips. My body was numb to me, a empty shell where my soul was suppose to live in and grow in. I thought about how useless a body would be without a controller, the frustration of it. It was like I had all of the power in the world couring through my soul but it just became meaningless if I didn't have something to focuse the energy of my power through and use it. A piece of broken machinery that was outdated and unwanted.

"Riley...don't go...not yet..." The voice was pleading with me. It didn't want me to go but why was the question. Did it want me to not leave this place? Was it lonely? Or did it not want me to leave the place that I had come from? It didn't make any sense to me or maybe I was over complecating it. Yes, that must be it. I needed to relax myself and just listen to the voice. Maybe it would lead me or comfort me. Either way, I wasn't so lost now.

"Come back...I'm sorry...it's my fault..." The deep voice felt guilty for something that I didn't understand. I wanted to ask the voice so many questions. I wanted to say something to it but couldn't. It was out of my reach, just like everything else in my life. Everything that I had dreamed about I had worked hard and earned. Still, they were pushed away, going farther and farther until I had finally given up. Should I give up on this voice too? It seems so far away and I can't move so what was the point.

"If you can hear me...it's me, Tony...I don't want to lose you... Please come back!" That voice...it belongs to Tony Stark. No! I don't want to let him go! Not yet! I refuse to give up on him, not after all he has done to help me. I needed to fight this, fight to reach his voice. My eyes closed, bringing the darkness closer to me. I should be afraid but I let the words of Tony Stark fill me with hope. I was not going to let anyone or anything control my life anymore. I was going to fight it and move on my accord, going for his voice to lead the way. Tony didn't let me go, he didn't lose his faith in me. I needed to fight and now. A power surge ran cold through me. I FELT the coldness fill me before it melted into a burning warmth that reminded me of the fire. The fire that consumed my home and all of my art that I created over the years. The image of the metal box that I had sacrificed so much flashed in my eyes. The importance of what was inside. I needed it more than the release of pain.

"Riley!...Hurry!" I fought it with all of my strength. Soon the familiar warmth began to crawl over my body, like a skin suit molding itself on me. It wasn't long before I realized that I had control over my body again. My finger twitched and my eyes blinked a few times. I let myself smile before leaning forward, where Tony was. My arms swung at the sides and my legs began to kick, trying to push myself closer to him. The darkness clung close to me like tar, not having any intention to release me from this endless void. I fought against it and foucsed on Tony's voice that soothed me and brought confidence to me.

"RILEY!"

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><p>I had blinked and then the blackness melted away, giving me a view of the bright blue sky. My lips were wide open, trying to suck in air. I looked around and to my delight I saw Tony looked down at me with worried eyes. He was wearing his famous red and gold suit with sut smearing across the metal and his cheek. I began to feel the semi-hot metal pressing against my back and under my knees. Tony was holding me close to him as we hovered in the air. I couldn't believe the moment until the dry, burn in my lungs pulled me to complete reality. My body spasamed slightly, trying to heal itself from the damages that I had caused to myself.<p>

Tony watched for a second as I began to pull myself together and take a few small, clean breaths of air. My tougne tried to moisten my dry and busted lip but it was useless. My mouth was aching for cool liquid to fill me. Tony sighed and shifted my body in his arms. "You had me worried sick about you." My eyes latched to his, smiling and moving my arms around his neck. I was happy to be alive for the first time. Happy that someone had cared for me and probably saved my life too. Tony smirked down at me before he threw his front mask over and tightened his hard grip around me. He pushed off and within a few seconds we had landed on his roof of his house. He didn't dare release me when he landed, when he took off his armor, or when he walked us inside and it made me have a flash back to last night. I was beginning to wonder if this was how I was always going to enter his house. I didn't mind it, not one bit but I wondered how Tony felt about it.

My eyes blinked back the slight dryness before I tried to read his emotions through his eyes. The suttlness of the color told me that he had a lot on his mind but the slight twinkle informed me that they weren't all bad thoughts. Tony led me through a few hallways up until we reached another white room that reminded me a lot like a doctor's office. He set me down on the table and turned away hesitantly before quickly turning back. "I tried...I tried to get someone to help you but everyone refused. I got worried...I needed you to get air and I began to panaic so..." Tony was trailing off and I was trying to understand what he was trying to say while ignoring the intense burning of my lungs. My hand raised to meet his cheek, shaking the silghtest. His cheek was faintly scratchy with his goaty but was soft none the less. Tony's mouth shut close and was about to lean into my touch but he stopped himself. I felt a little dissapointed at first. I shouldn't have expected any less to be truthful. My lips forced a smile and I pulled my hand away.

Tony looked at me and forced a smile too. "Can you...heal yourself?" My eyes trailed down my body. I had a few burns across my legs where the fire had got me. The slacks I did wear was now tattered shorts, falling apart into burnt lint balls. The burns were pretty bad but it was my lungs that I needed to take care of first. I lifted my wrist to make a writing motion and Tony fled to find a pad and pen. He came back in a blink of an eye, handing what I needed. I wrote down what I needed to say slowly, the burns across my wrists and down my forearms causing me to still my words a few times.

_"I can heal on the outside but not the inside. I can't heal what I can't see."_

Tony's eyes scanned over the note before turning around and running out of the room. I felt dizzy again and decided that I should rest on the table. My head rested against the cool metal as I thought about the box. If it had survived the fire then it should still be there, within the moutain of ash. I was going to need to find the box as soon as I could. Maybe Tony would help. I'm sure he would. A true smile formed as I thought about Tony. Speaking of the devil, he had just returned with a air tank and a mask. "Here, lets get some good air in ya'." I nodded and flinched when the cold plastic touched my busted lips. Tony turned a nosel and I was suddenly inhaling sweet air. It felt great but the instant mixture of clean air and lingering smoke caused me to go into a coughing fit. Tony pushed me to sit up as I removed the mask to let out my lungs. "Take it easy. Get it out of your system and then lie back down." I nodded and placed the mask back on, sucking a little air and coughing it back out.

This lasted for a few minutes before I was finally able to relax without damaging my lungs any further. Tony helped me back down on the table, brushing my hair from my face. His dark eyes looked worried for me and I began to feel so guilty. I was being selfish and it nearly costed my life. My hand gripped the pad and pen again as I began to write again, ignoring the burn.

_"I'm sorry Tony but I needed to get something in the fire. It was very important to me."_

Tony raised a eyebrow and his eyes glanced up as if he was thinking. He stood up and walked over to the far side of the room, picking something up and walking back. "Is this what you were after?" He lifted the untouched metal box in front of me. I nearly jumped off the table to launch at him. Tony had gotten the box and saved my life. My hands reached up and touched the warm box in front of me. Tony smiled at my expression and placed the box on the counter next to the table where I could see it. My eyes lingered on the box before daring to met Tony's. He smirked and shook his head, running his fingers through his hair. "When I had found you, you were looking at the box with a almost...needing gaze. I debated for a second and finally said, 'fuck it' and grabbed you along with this case. I don't understand what is in there that you would sacrifice so much for but I have no room to talk anyway." I wanted to chuckle but held it back since I didn't want to go through another coughing faze. I began to write and handed the note to him.

_"There are something's that are worth so much more than my own life. Only I can open it. Thank you for grabbing it too, I owe you so much Tony."_

He looked smirked and chuckled at my note. "Don't worry about it so much. Do you think that I can take a look inside?" He leaned forward and tried to seal the deal with a charming smile that made me weightless. He could instantly turn the worst kind of situation with only that one smile. I thought about the items inside the box. I wasn't sure if I should show Tony what dewelled and how he would react. If he reacted calmly to it then everything would be fine...but if he didn't then there would be a chance to send me over to S.H.E.I.L.D. My worst fear. He stayed still, our eyes locked while I thought this over. My mouth opened to take in more air before I wrote my answer down.

_"I will, there is something that I want to show you anyway but you must promise me something."_

Tony's smile fell slightly and he looked at me in the eye. "What is it?" My hands pushed me up from the table so I could sit. I motioned my hand for the box and Tony reached over and grabbed it for me. I gently took it from his hands and placed the box over my legs, keeping my eyes on him. By now my lungs had felt much better so I removed the mask. Tony tried to stop me but I brushed his hands away. I placed the pad on top of the box and wrote down the promise.

_"When you look inside, promise me that you won't send me away to S.H.E.I.L.D."_

Tony looked over the note and then met my eyes. He could see the fear in my eyes. Neither of us moved for a while until he broke out into a smile and a fit of giggles. I was not expecting that kind of reaction and waited patiently for him to finish to see what the hell was so damn funny. Tony clasped his hand on my shoulder and leaned his head down to my level. "For one, I would never send you to those assholes. That means that I would have to socialize with them. And two, I highly doubt that whatever is in that box is of any concern to them. Now...let's see what is inside." I felt very relieved but there was still those doubts in my mind about my trust in him. My fingers grazed over a small latch that had a lock that needed a long forgotten key. My tense muscles relaxed. A breath of air fell from my lips. I could feel Tony's harden gaze on me the whole time, making me a little nervous. Soon I felt a familiar sense of power coursed through my veins until it reached my finger tips. A small white light appeared in the shape of a small spear.

I pushed the spear light into the key hole and let the power melt and take shape of a key to unlock it. A small click sound let me know that the box had opened. Tony kept his distance but his eyes were filled with curiosity. My fingers carefully opened the box, light filling the small space. My eyes took a quick glance to Tony's before I opened it fully, relieved to see that everything inside was untouched. The lid was wide opened and exposed the items to our eyes. A small evolope was on top of three books and a white binder rested at the bottom. Tony stayed still and watched as I took the evolope up to show him the marker on the other side that read "Life Savings." He nodded his head and I put it to the side. My fingers took the first book that was a dark green color with silver ribbons etched on the cover. I took the second book that was slightly smaller but was a deep red and had a plane cover. I grabbed the last book, which was the biggest one, and pressed them all aginst my chest.

The biggest one was white and had a golden rose flower on the front cover. These books had meant the most to me. Tony looked over the book and I could tell that he was curious and losing his patience. He was rocking on his heels and I giggled, causing him to freeze on the spot. I took the biggest book and handed it over to him. His large hands carefully grasped the old book and gave me an unsure look. I smiled and pushed the book farther in his hands before turning back to the last item. My hand still pushed the other two books closer to me while my other gripped the binder. I brought it up and took a glance at Tony who had opened the book. His expression was entertaining as he realized that he could not read the incriptions. The words on the pages were of a language not of this world, something that I feared would get me a one-way ticket to S.H.E.I.L.D. My hands went back to the binder and opened it. The pages that I had personally worked on were safe and unharmed. This was what I wanted to show Tony and I hoped that he would like it.

I took out the first sheet of paper and looked over the image, smiling at how many hours I had spent working on it. "What language is this?!" I sighed and closed my eyes. Tony was know for being a genius but I find it hard to understand how he could not put two and two together. My hand reached up and took the book from his hold. His eyebrows met his hairline and looked as if he was trying to put words in some kind of a sentence. It was a interesting sight. My hand that held the paper moved to give it over to Tony. He stilled his gaze on the book before turning his attention to what I was holding him. He took it and stared at it with hard eyes. His lips were barely parted, sucking in a sharp breath of air and threw his head up at me. "This can't be possible!"


	5. Chapter 5

Hey** everybody! Sorry about those damn cliff hangers. I love to do that and I know that they can be a pain in the ass sometimes. :D I will try and not to do that in this chapter. (Can't promise anything after that lol)**

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><p>The sun had shined down and highlighted the glow of my armor. If everything went according to plan then I should have been with Riley at her apartment with whatever she wanted to show me. Instead, I had to quickly get my suit on and fly off to save her when I watched her bolt inside the building, <strong>that was on fire! <strong>I got to her in time and took her back home...umm, my home. Yeah that's what I meant. Her skin around her legs and arms were fairly burned, but I was worried about her lungs mostly. She would need to breath in order to live, obviously. I had hoped that she could heal herself but apparently she can't heal what she can't see, not good. I had ran out of the small room to search for a air tank and brought it back as she lied down on the metal gurney. I could tell from her expression that she was in a lot of pain. I tried to understand why in the hell she would do that. It was practically suicide pulling a stunt like that, and I should know. The memory of her lying against that wall sent a cold shiver down my spine. She looked dead, except for her face. Even with her eyes closed she looked like she was still looking for something. When I had grabbed her I had followed her closed gaze to a small, metal case that rested behind the wall, untouched. I had grabbed a hold of her and debated to grab it too. After a few second went by I had kicked myself and grabbed it to right before the floor caved out beneath us. I was able to save her but my mind kept going back to the what ifs.

It was pissing me off that I was getting so worked up for a girl that I barely knew. I'm losing my mind over this. But when I look into her soft eyes I'm almost happy to do so.

But when my eyes looked over the page in my hands I nearly had a heart attack. "This can't be possible!" Riley was watching me and from the corner of my eyes I could barely see the nervousness in her expression. She really didn't want to go to S.H.E.I.L.D., and I wouldn't blame her, but this was definitely pushing the limits.

The image on the page was a outline structure of my suit...and my arc reactor. It was clearly drawn out. There were notes written near the drawn image of my arc reactor that said, "Power source", "Large magnet", and "Universal engine". I looked up to her and tried to relax my eyebrows that were stretching up to my hair line. "What...is this? You have the secrets and weakness of my suit written here, things I have never told anyone. How is this possible?" Her hands still wrapped around the book were pulling them closer to her as if they were her life. She began writing and I was growing a little irritated. "I want to hear what you have to say. So start talking!" She flinched and I instantly regretted my temper. This woman had dark secrets and I was a little unsure if I could trust her with it.

Riley had her hands on the pad and looked as if she was debating what I had asked...or demanded from her. Her eyes were casted downward, staring at the empty page. My hands reached up to touch her shoulder but she pulled back away from me. I felt like I got bitch slapped by the Hulk. I sighed quietly. _Sir, Miss Potts is calling you again. Shall I ignore her call?_ The last thing I wanted to do was talk to her but Riley wanted to be left alone and I couldn't avoid Pepper forever. "No...I'll answer her call." I stepped back from Riley and rested my back against the opposite wall. "Hello?"

The was a short pause before I got a response. "Tony? Yeesh! I thought you would never answer me again."

I almost smiled at the sound of her voice. I hated to admit it but it was nice to hear it again, when it wasn't yelling at me. "Yeah...sorry about that. Whatcha need?"

"Well I was just watching TV when I happen to come across the news and apparently Tony Stark had pushed around a few fire fighters about half an hour ago." There was silence and I was about to open my mouth when she beat me to it. "What the hell were you thinking?!"

Both Riley and I cringed. "I had a very good explanation as to why I was pushing them around. Okay, that doesn't sound as good as I thought it would but I still had a very good reason for that." I tried reasoning with her but I should know better. Pepper always wins.

"I don't care what your reason was! Those men were risking their lives today-"

I jumped from the wall and threw my head up to the ceiling. "The only life they were risking was Riley who was inside that fire! They refused to put out the fire and everyone in the city came to see her burn to the ground! I had to do something!" Short gasps of breath filled the silence and I tired to remember what I had just said. My eyes glanced over to Riley who was watching me with intense curiosity.

"What...what did you just say?" My eyes closed and the palm of my hand began to rub my face.

"Look, you should know me better than anyone. I would never do something like that without a good reason. A young woman named Riley was hated throughout this town and they decided to burn down the only place she has with all of her personal belongings. When she realized that she went into the fire to grab something important to her. The firefighters on the scene just smiled and walked away, I had to do something and when nobody listened to me then I went and got her out of there myself." I sucked in a sharp breath of air before continuing. "I know what I did was wrong and I'm sorry _Mom_."

Riley was giving me a questionable and I waved her off. "So this woman, Riley...is she alright?"

My lips curved into a small smile. "Yes, her lungs were slightly charred and she has a lot of burns on her arms and legs but other than that she is okay." I looked her over and a thought came. "Oh! Can I ask you a quick question?"

We heard her sigh into the phone. "What is it Tony?"

"Is there anyway you can give away any clothes you don't wear anymore. Some baggy shirts nad pants if you can."

Pepper was silent for a second. "Are the clothes for Riley?" She sounded surprised and a bit taken back.

"Yes, just until I can go and take her shopping for some new clothes." Everyone was quiet for the moment. I watched Riley as she began to scribble on the note pad.

"Alright, I'll come by tonight and drop off a few outfits for her. Anything else?" I like this Pepper, always considerate for others when the time was needed.

"No that's it. Thanks Pepper." We said goodbye and JARVIS hung up the phone. A awkward silence rested between Riley and I. My hands found their way into my pockets before I stepped closer to her. "Look,...I'm sorry for snapping at you like that. I was freaked out that you knew these things about me that even S.H.E.I.L.D. doesn't know." Riley looked up at me and out eyes locked on each other. She nodded her head.

"It's okay..." My heart did an cartwheel and my stomach summer salted all around inside me. Her voice was softer and more heavenly than the first time. I couldn't believe that this woman could have this effect on me, to this extent! And for the first time in a while, I felt myself beginning to blush. Heat ran up to my cheeks and neck. I was so transfixed on the two words that she said that I didn't realize that she had held up her note to me. I shook my head and read it.

_"I have never seen a guy blush before. It's kinda cute!"_

That's it. I threw my hands up and walked up to her. "I give up." Her eyebrow rose just before I carefully placed my hands around her soft cheeks. I pulled our lips together and for that split moment I was in complete bliss. A white fire enflamed in the pit of my stomach that coursed through my body, giving me a rush of desire. Her lips were as smooth as a rose petal and tasted a little sweet from the syrup. She was completely eatable.

Riley didn't move, she froze on the spot. It made me nervous that she might reject me. There were sometimes that women would turn me down but the thought of Riley pushing me away made fear grow in my heart. I didn't want to let her go, ever. Just as I was about to pull away I felt small hands run up my chest before wrapping around the back of my neck. Her lips began to move against mine and that was when I felt completely relaxed. I had nothing to worry about, she had accepted me. I moved my hands from her face to move up into her hair, feeling the softness of it. She made a squeak and jumped slightly. I pulled away and looked down at her. Riley's eyes were glazed and filled with lust making her look as if she was glowing. I was too transfixed with her expression that I didn't realize my hands were gripping her a little too hard. I pulled away to only have her grab them. Our eyes met and she gave me a sheepish smile.

I chuckled and rubbed her hands. "Sorry, didn't mean to hurt ya'." She had a small blush growing on her cheeks. "Hehe, I think that your blush is cute too." I smirked at her and she turned away, the redness of her face growing darker. Her hands playfully pushed me away as she tried to stop her smile from getting any bigger. I laughed and gripped her hips lightly, making her just accidently. Our eyes met again before my face broke into a large grin. "Oh? Are we ticklish there?" Her head swung from side to side but I knew the truth. My fingers began to brush her hips again. Riley gasped loudly and shut her mouth to keep her giggles from escaping. I felt myself growing brave and began to tickle her faster, moving from her hips to her ribcage and back.

Riley gasped for air and would occasionally squeak. It was so damn cute I found myself laughing before she managed to squeeze out of my grasp. She quickly grabbed the envelope, binder and her books before facing me. Her eyes were locked on mine while a devilish smirk made itself known on her lips. I was surprised to see her standing in front of me with the burns on her legs but soon became dumfounded when she took off, leaving me to gulp like a dry fish. It took me a second to get my bearings together and smiled wide, casing after her as fast as I could.

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><p>We had ran all over the damn house, including the roof before I finally caught her in the living room. To be honest I think she let me catch her. I picked her up and tossed her on the couch, watching her bounce a few times. She was glowing with her smile, making me feel complete. Riley sat up and motioned the seat next to her. I sat down, not realizing how much I was breathing while she seemed perfectly normal. I was sucking in large gulps of air to fill my suddenly dry lungs. Riley simply smiled and waited. Her eyes gazed over her legs and her smile slowly faded away. Her hands grazed over the damaged flesh and slowly it began to heal. The skin began to patch itself up and the color started to reappear. It took a few minutes, plenty of time for me to take a break, and she was finally able to heal her legs. She looked over her arms and shrugged before opening the binder again. I moved so I could sit closer, our thighs and hips brushing. "Whatcha doin'?"<p>

She smiled and pulled out another sheet of paper before looking at me. Her eyes were studying mine before she hesitantly gave me the slip of paper. She seemed to be worried and it hit me that she may be afraid about how I would react. I sighed and mentally slapped myself for my behavior. "Riley, I won't bark at you like that again. I promise." I looked at her in the eye before even glancing at the paper in my hand. She gave me a short nod and grabbed her envelope and opened it. I tore my gaze at her and braced myself for what she wanted to show me, for the second time.

Apparently I didn't brace myself enough.

A perfectly drawn image of the Tesseract was in the middle of the page. Small notes surrounded the image along with a smaller version of a cartoonish me at the bottom right corner. I swallowed the dry lump in my throat, contemplating the many different words that were all kinds of confused inside my brain. I wasn't sure what I was trying to say so I decided to start with a question. "Hey Riley?" She looked at me when she stopped counting her money. "How do you know about the Tesseract?" Her eyes looked down at the image and looked back up to me. She didn't move for a while until JARVIS's voice broke the silence. _Sir, Miss Potts is here. Shall I let her in? _I glanced up to the ceiling. "Yeah, thanks JARVIS."

Riley looked around the room, seemingly unsure what to do. I motioned my hand for her to stay while I walked up to the door. Pepper walked in with a small plastic bag in her hand. "Hey Tony." I smiled politely and accepted her hug when she opened up her arms. "I have about three days worth of clothing for her plus pajamas."

I took the bag from her and turned to the side. "Thanks Pepper, you're the best. You want to come in?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I want to see the lucky girl who has caught your attention now." We both chuckled playfully and I showed her to the couch where Riley sat nervously in her seat, much like when we were in the limo. Pepper stepped up and extended her hand to her. "Hello, I'm Pepper. It's nice to meet you." Riley stood up and eyed Pepper's hand questionably. They both seemed unsure about each other. I went to speak up to break the awkward silence but Riley made the first move and gently grasped Pepper's hand, giving it a firm shake. They both smiled, as if they understood each other without using words. It made me uncomfortable, I felt as if they could plot my demise that way.

"Well...umm, what's going on with you lately?" Pepper turned towards me and shrugged her shoulders.

"Not much, relaxing mostly in California. I love it here." I nodded in agreement. Riley walked out of the room and disappeared from out sights. Pepper raised a questionable eyebrow. "She doesn't talk much. Is she okay?"

I sighed again and gave Pepper a short nod. "Yeah, Riley doesn't like to talk. I don't know why so don't ask. I think she is alright." Pepper crossed her arms and faced me again.

"I would ask if she was wearing my slacks but I would rather not know." We both chuckled.

"Well...she HAD a lovely dress before it was caked in mud." Pepper's eyes widen slightly and I began to tell her the story about Sara to the fire about a hour ago. Pepper had stayed silent and listened carefully until I was finished with my story. "Anyway...she is a amazing girl and is gifted for some reason. And for some reason she fears S.H.E.I.L.D. ."

Pepper tapped her fingers on her forearms. "I wouldn't blame her. Do you realize what they would do to her if they found out that a naturally born human girl is gifted with these powers?" She slightly shook. "The would test her to no end. She is probably scared shitless to be more accurate."

She was probably right about that. Something else was triggered in my head. Sara had said that no one knew her parents. I began to wonder if she really was human. Soon, Riley came back with her note pad and pen in her hands, writing down something. She turned it to face us.

_"She looks nowhere near old enough to be your mother! What the hell?!"_

Pepper busted up laughing and I rubbed my eyes with the tips of my fingers. "Very funny..." I peeked one eye open, watching as she seemed to relax and smile.

* * *

><p>Pepper stayed and hung out with us before leaving just as then sun was setting in the distance. Riley was perched up on a stool while I made some more milkshakes, putting some extra chocolate in the blender. Riley had started writing down and didn't stop until the blender had mixed everything together. I finished pouring our glasses before I took the first note and began to read it.<p>

_"I like Pepper, she is really nice. Like Sara. I'm going to explain about the pages quickly and if you have anymore questions then wait until you finish reading. I'm pretty sure you are aware of the abilities I posses. So to some extent, I am a bit more developed mentally than most humans. Years ago I was fascinated with the stars and was granted these books. It was long until I had learned the language and the secrets within it, one including the Tesseract. I studied its' power and found out some interesting things about it with my mentor. When you first became Iron Man, I was highly intrigued that you were able to create such a device on your own. I soon studied your suit and what powers it, the arc reactor. After about a year of being a creep and learning about the arc reactor, I had found that the Tesseract and your arc reactor hold similar properties. Meaning that if you could harvest that power, even the slightest bit, your would have a unlimited power source that would be unstoppable and unbreakable." _

My eyes kept rereading the note over and over until they grew tired. I took a sip of the drink and placed the note against the counter. "Yeah...I have a couple of questions. First off, "creep"?" She blushed and took the note before folding it and placing it off to the side. Her hands skimmed across the paper as she wrote her response. I took it from her when she was done.

_"I am embarrassed to say that I was...very interested in you and found ways to sneak into your system and mind."_

The words were a little badly written, showing me how nervous she was. I chuckled and shook my head. "I know I can attract some attention...but damn. I didn't think I would bring home my own stalker." Her brows knitted together and her cheeks burned red with embarrassment. My hands reached over and patted the top of her head. "No need to be so high strung. Now for my second question." She sighed quietly and rested her head in her hands. "Who was your mentor? I was under the impression that you had nobody to look over you growing up."

Riley sat up and looked as if she was cursing under her breath. I could tell that she forgot that she mentioned that. My hands gripped the cold glass and I took a good chug of the milkshake, cringing when I received a short brain freeze. She giggled and sipped her milkshake gingerly. When she reached for her pen I placed my hand over hers. "Forget it, it's not important. I know that it was a touchy subject." Her eyes matched mine and she visibly relaxed, finishing off her drink. I took the glasses and washed them in the sink. We returned to the living room and I picked up the paper with the Tesseract drawn on it. If what she was telling me was true then she would be a brilliant woman to have around, working for me. The thought brought a large smile on my face. Having Riley around to help me out when it came to experiments and debate would be fun.

Riley stood next to me and held out her note.

_"If I may ask you one thing, can it be for me to work under you? Please?"_

I swear she can read minds! I threw the note over my shoulder and grabbed her to pull her into a hug. "I was just thinking that! I would be honored to have you in my industries!" Riley didn't hesitate to return the gesture and grip me tightly. I held her there for a moment before forcing my self to let her go. "Of course that would mean that you would have to come back to New York with me and leave California. Do you still want to do that?" The fear of her rejection was stupidly resting at the back of my head. I felt like a idiot for having to think that she would say no to me but I couldn't help it. Riley rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips, giving me all kinds of attitude. I held up my hands to surrender. "I had to ask, forgive me." I bent over to bow before her and I heard her giggle. The spark of desire filled and clouded my heart and mind again, giving me a familiar rush of bravery. I stood fully and took a step closer to her, growing more happy when she stepped closer too. My arms held her close to me as hers rested on my chest. Our lips meeting again for a heated kiss.

* * *

><p><em>Deep in the dark cell sat Loki, alone and simmering in intense anger. His mind had always been on Riley since the first day he had met her and wanted to keep her for himself. He left her in hopes of becoming the king of her world the next time he saw her. Sadly, he had failed that vision and now he fears he may lose her completely and to that bastard human, Tony Stark. Oh, how ironic that he would be the one to find her and keep her to himself. <em>

_Loki's teeth grinded against each other as the pit of pure hatred for Tony grew. Loki always watched over Riley, hating that he was never there to protect her when she needed him, but he was disgusted when Stark came to her rescue instead. That was suppose to be his job! Loki pulled away from the scene and began to plan for his escape soon, not waiting to be with his Riley any longer. She would be his even if that meant to destroy everything that stood in his way. And he means everything!_


	6. Chapter 6

God...if this is a dream, then please never wake me up again. That would be my only request from you.

Tony's arms were strong but comforting at the same time. He held me like he never wanted to lose me. I had never experienced something like this before, this exhilarating experience. Tony had asked me to work for him even after he found out what I am...well the important parts anyway. There were some small details that I would probably need to share with him in the near future but I wasn't going to allow this moment to end. I finally had a chance to escape the past and start a new and with Tony's help, I can finally achieve my dream of being a famous artist and travel the world.

The warmth of Tony's arms shattered my thoughts and I looked up to see what was going on. Tony had pulled away to answer his phone. "Hey, what's up?...No, I'm in California currently. It's a long story, why?...I was planning on leaving tomorrow, we can talk then but-" Tony glanced down at me and seemed to have a million thoughts run through his mind all at once. "-Yeah, I'm still here. I was saying was that I am bringing someone with me... No, It's nothing like that...She is going to be working for me personally. I hired her today... Again, no, it's nothing like that." He sighed deeply and that made me nervous. Tony took his arm that was still resting on my hip to rub his eyes. He was clearly aggravated about something. I wished that I could hear what was causing him to be so stressed.

"Alright, I hear you Caps. I will be there sometime tomorrow, I can't guarantee when I will be there so I will have JARVIS inform you guys...Yeah...You too, night." Tony ended the call and glared daggers at the phone, as if he was trying to send a bolt of fire to whom ever was on the other end. Had this not made me nervous for us I would have found his attitude to be very entertaining. Tony looked down at me and gave me worried look and tried to cover it up with a smile. It didn't work.

I took his hand and began to rub the surprisingly soft skin on the back of his hand, trying to comfort him since that was just a day of firsts for me. Tony visibly relaxed and I began to get really worried as to why he was so tense after one phone call. Our eyes locked and I reached up to yank the phone from his grasp. He was a little taken back. I walked away and placed the phone on the counter and reached for my pen to write. I was very quick with this and handed the note over.

_"I don't like that way that one phone call made you tense and upset. Who was that?"_

Tony ran his fingers through his hair, contemplating something. His gaze stayed on the page for a while before he turned and motioned me to follow. I did and we sat on the white couch. His posture was slouched, his shoulders rolled forward and his hands picking at each other. I watched Tony as he was doing something on the inside of his mouth, distracting me from the immense expression in his eyes. Tony faced me and I straightened myself out, feeling anxious suddenly. "That call was from Caps, my friend...His name is Steve Rogers or better known as Captain America..." I stayed silent and urged him to continue with my hands. Tony leaned back against the couch and glanced out the window for a second and then he turned back to me. "Apparently S.H.E.I.L.D. received word from Thor about something. It had everyone on their feet and they want me back soon so we all can get the news at once."

My body cringed at the mention of S.H.E.I.L.D. but I listened to everything carefully. I was kinda lost for what the problem was, I didn't recognize the name, Thor. I wrote on another sheet of paper and showed it him.

_"Who is Thor and why is it so bad to be getting word from him?"_

Tony chuckled and leaned forward, getting a little more comfortable. "Thor was with us when New York was attacked by the aliens...you did hear about that right?" I rolled my eyes and nodded my head. Of course I knew about that, although I didn't know why or who caused it I didn't think that it was such a big deal since S.H.E.I.L.D. took care of everything. Tony breathed out in relief and continued. "Well the bastard who caused that problem was the brother of Thor and when we stopped him Thor took him away to see to his punish. If Thor is calling us then something happened...which is very bad." I nodded my head and understood the situation. This must mean that Thor's brother probably got away and that was what was causing Tony to stress out. I reached out and kissed his cheek before wrapping my arms around his neck. He gripped me tightly to his body, savoring the contact without hesitation. I pulled away slightly and found myself drawn to his intelligent eyes. Tony noticed this and smirked.

Tony and I sat there for a few hours before deciding to order pizza and chug down on a two litter of Pepsi. He and I discussed how I was to be starting work and what he would be expecting of me. He decided to put me in his personal workshop to tinker with his suits and such while he would be away from his work. I agreed and when he told me how much he would be paying me I nearly spurt out half a cup of soda on him. Ten thousand a week...holy shit! He laughed at my expression and choked on a bite of his pizza. He was fine but that was my turn to laugh my ass off at his expression. He froze and stared at me with harden eyes. I also froze and wonder what was wrong. Tony smirked, "I really like your laugh..." Heat rose to my cheeks and I carefully placed my glass on the table just as Tony sprang forward and captured me, pinning me to the ground. I was just barely able to hold back a squeak. He laughed at me and we began kissing again. It didn't go any farther than that and we were both okay with that.

After some time later we had left to go to bed, getting prepared for the long trip tomorrow. I had changed into Pepper's pajamas before going to sleep. A light blue tank top and dry sweat pants. They were very comfy and I felt myself falling asleep with a smile on my lips.

* * *

><p>My hands gripped the armrests of my seat long after the jet had taken off. I refused to let go even after the muscles in my fingers cramped up. Tony was highly amused with my reaction to being on a plane for the first time. He reclined in his seat, his hands folded in his lap with one knee resting on top his other. He looked so comfortable, relaxing like that. I decided that I was being ridiculous and forced my fingers to let go of the white leather armrests, leaving behind crescent indents that showed proof of my fear for flying. Looking at the marks I suddenly felt bad and sigh in aggravation. Tony chuckled and got up out of his seat. "I find it funny that you would be so nervous and scared when sitting in probably the most safe aircraft in the world but when it comes to being carried around by Iron Man you don't even bat a eyelash." He walked over and opened a small refrigerator, pulling out a bottle of whisky and a can of soda for me. He sat back down and handed it over to me. I had felt the muscles in my cheeks flex when I smiled at him. He was right and I tried to understand why. I popped open my soda that was Pepsi, to my delight, and sipped the dark carbonated drink.<p>

I took my notepad and pen, writing my answer to him. Tony sipped his drink and watched my carefully. My eyes glanced at his drink and my lips curled in disgust. I had never liked alcoholic drinks and never understood why other would be so fond of them. They would burn and leave me dizzy and sick after one sip. I had finish writing and showed him my note.

_"You have a good point there. I think that is because I feel more safe in the arms of a hero than a giant deathtrap of a 'Aircraft'."_

Tony smiled to himself. I must have been stroking his ego and made a mental note to be careful with that. He leaned forward and offered his drink to me. I shook my head to decline his offer. Tony pointed to my soda and I handed it over. He looked at me and gave me his trademark smirk. "Will you try something?" My eyebrow arched upwards but I nodded anyway, I trusted him. Tony reached over and gripped a glass, throwing a few small ice cubes before pouring some of my soda. About three-fourths was fill and he poured a small splash of his dark whisky in with the soda. I wasn't so sure about it but I didn't deny Tony when he handed the glass to me. I was hesitant as I brought the rim of the glass to my lips. The smell of the harsh liquor was carefully covered my the sweetness of my soda. I tipped the glass and let the cold drink run over my tongue and down my throat. It was surprisingly good. What should've been a harsh bite was actually more of a teasing nip in my throat. The soda mix with the whisky, making a cold fire of gold settle in my stomach.

And I liked it.

Tony was satisfied with my reaction to the mixed drink and settled back into his seat. "I thought you would like it." I knew he was having a proud moment but didn't feel as it was necessary to ruin it. My lips consumed anther small taste of my drink before placing in on the table between us. My eyes looked over to the window, taking in the view of blue and white. The clouds melted against the blue sky like cotton candy. I had to admit that this was quite the experience, enjoying it with Tony.

I felt a hand on my knee so I turned to see what was touching me. I looked up to see Tony tracing the design of my pant leg. I had put on some worn-out jeans that had a faded butterfly print that was a mix of black and silver. My shirt was a red tank top with a black coat draped lazily over my shoulders. I thought that I looked like I was back in high school, bringing back some unfortunate memories, and I tried to change into something else. Tony had denied me and said that I was a hot chili pepper; probably referring to the red top and my small figure. I blushed and accepted the complement before we reached the jet and now I had felt a little more at ease with my, or Pepper's, clothes. Tony seemed to be calculating something that had to do with the butterfly. He was deep in thought so I let him be and tried not to shiver when his finger would trace ghostly numbers on me.

After some time went by he pulled away and reached into his small bag to pull out a tablet. He was making some note and saving them into the files. Once he was done he had put it away and took a drink of the whisky. I physically cringed at the sight and decided that I didn't like it. I reached over and took his glass from his large hands. Tony rose a eyebrow and smirked. "If you wanted some more then you should've just asked." I narrowed my eyes on his and shook my head before offering my own drink to him. He seemed confused but took it anyways while I began to write on my pad.

_"I don't like the way you drink like that. That stuff will kill you if you're not careful."_

Tony scoffed but took a good amount of my drink, making no attempts to reach for his whisky for the rest of the flight to New York. My lips quirked into a smile when I realized that I had won a little battle. I probably would be pushing my limits if I try it again so I would need to get use to it anyway. But for now, I'm going to be savoring in the blissful moment and enjoy the rush of anticipation.

* * *

><p>I couldn't believe my eyes as I gazed over the city. We were landing soon after sitting in the jet for eight, almost nine, hours. I had seen pictures that showed the beautiful outlook of New York...I was not expecting this though. Over half of the city was still in crumbles from the attack. Large pieces of buildings rested in the streets. Glass covered the ground, making a sharp glare of the light from the sun almost unbearable. Dirt and blood stuck to the sides of whatever was left of the ground and walls. It was a horrible sight, something that brought instant depression and guilt to my heart. I couldn't even imagine how many people were hurt, let alone killed. My fingers gently pressed against the glass of the window as I pushed myself closer to the scene before me. I hated it but yet I couldn't pull away.<p>

"Terrible isn't it. Even though it was months ago we are still trying to finish off with the basic cleaning. It will take the rest of the year before we are able to scrape the rubble and dirt from the city. Another few years until we can probably take the large pieces of buildings and asphalt out of the streets. All around... I suspect at least five to ten years to clean up. And many more to start rebuilding." My heart clenched and my eyes started to become blurry from my tears that tried to escape. I closed my eyes and tore away from the window to stare into my lap.

Tony sighed and reached over to pat my head. Just before he pulled away he buckled me into my seat and repeated the process with himself. We were landing, which was pretty smooth. Tony escorted me out of the jet and pulled me close to him as we headed for a limo that was parked on the other side of the runway. Tony's large hand held on to mine while his other pulled out his cell phone and called someone. I slid inside first and settled myself down, a good distance away from him. Tony noticed this as he was talking. "Yeah...Yep we are fine, the flight went smoothly... Thanks again... You too, bye." He hung up and I guessed that it was Pepper. My eyes stole a glance at him as he began to make another call. Tony ran his fingers through his hair and motioned for the driver to go. We were just barely moving when Tony had started talking. "Hey, I'm back...Yeah, everything went just fine and I'm heading back to my place right now..."

Tony's eyes grew wide and he straightened out in his seat. "No, I can't have that-Hey! Listen!...My answer is no, I can come to you guys...I have my own reasons Caps." That name caught my attention so I tuned my ears to try and pick up what they were talking about. "I said no, I will get my suit and head out to your direction. Case closed." Tony hung up and let out a low growl. unfortunately, I wasn't able to piece together their conversation. My fingers instinctively went to write but I held back. Tony was stressed so I sucked in a sharp breath of air.

"...Is everything okay?" Tony jumped slightly but I kept my vision in my lap. For some reason I couldn't look at him, it was frightening. Tony didn't answer me for a moment but he moved closer to me and stretched out his hand for me. I glanced at it and took it. He held on tightly, but not painfully.

"That was Caps...he wanted the rest of the Avengers to met up at my place." My fingers gripped his rough palm, still refusing to look at him. "I was afraid how you would react so I told him that I would head over to their base...for some reason I don't think that they are going to listen to me." I had a feeling that this wasn't going to be as smooth as I hoped but I guess I should've expected that when I am moving in with a Avenger. I felt Tony's other hand clasp over mine and his voice became softer. "Please believe me when I say that I won't let them take you. They are coming for a meeting about Thor's brother, nothing more."

I breathed a sigh through my nose and lifted my head at him. His eyes held a small sliver of fear in his irises. He was trying to help and I wasn't giving him enough credit. So I lifted my lips into a small smile and moved closer to him until I sat in his lap. I felt his muscles loosen up and blew out a gust of air. I stayed there and realized that I was falling asleep. I now understood what people meant when they talk about jet-lag and passed out a second later.

* * *

><p>My arms were lazily around Tony's neck as he carried me in his house. I giggled and shook my head. That was it, that was how I was always going to walk in his house, in his arms like a newly married wife. Tony seemed to really like our position due to the fairly large grin on his face. We, or he, strolled in and Tony gracefully walked further into his house. His hands held on my hips and his fingers began to poke my sides, making me squirm and him laugh. I smacked his chest playfully and he only laughed more. "Come on, you know you like it." He was teasing me with his smile. I stuck out my tongue at him and giggled at his expression.<p>

"God, kill us now." I froze and Tony jumped a few feet back. That must have been one of the Avengers that the voice came from. Tony growled and began to yell at JARVIS but I ignored it all. My brain forced my eyes to look in the direction where the deep voice came from. By a island in the kitchen stood four men and one woman. There was a tall and well built man with blond hair, a small blond who was standing very close to a red-head woman wearing a revealing suit. Sitting on a stool was a nerdy man with brown hair who didn't pay any attention to us but it was the African American man with the eye patch that sent fear into my heart. Their eyes glanced from Tony to me, sizing me up. I was growing uncomfortable and forced my way out of Tony's arms.

Tony stared at me but he understood my jumpiness. The African American stepped closer and I instinctively stepped back, keeping distance between me and them. My eyes casted downward with my hands already balled into fists. I was ready to defend myself if it came to it. The rest of them started walking forward but stayed by Tony. The woman crossed her arms and looked at Tony. "So, who is she?"

Her voice was filled with venom, she clearly didn't like me. Tony turned and faced them with his back to me. "She is my new employee. She will be working in the lab with me. Now let's get down to business so I can take a damn nap." The nerdy man narrowed his eyes on me and stepped closer to me. He didn't seem dangerous but if he was a Avenger then I was not to underestimate him. Before I knew it he was right in front of me with his hand outstretched.

"Hey, I'm Bruce. Nice to meet you." I looked up at him through my lashes and kept my stance still, not moving. He stuttered as he pulled his hand back. The others had began to watch us. The woman strolled over to me like I was nothing to her.

"Do you talk at all?" Her arm raised and my muscle memory kicked in. My right foot stepped back into a front stance and my fist rose to my front protectively. She also got into her own stance and waited for me to attack. Tension rose in the room, our eyes didn't blink as we stayed in our positions. Tony tried to walk over to the woman to calm her down but she wasn't loosening up. "I don't trust and like her Tony. Where did you find this one? In a bar?" My teeth gritted and my lips curled in distaste. She was basically calling me a whore. I found myself growling, catching everyone's attention. Tony tried to come between us again but I was not letting this woman to get away with her loose tongue.

As fast as I could I pounced forward and took her to the ground. My hands gripped her throat but she kicked me in the gut and sent me onto my back. She jumped up and pulled out a twin pair of guns at me. I got up as well and felt my power surge through me along with my anger. The short blond tried to stop her but she ignored them all. "Come on Tasha, let it go. You had it coming." She opened her mouth to reply but I beat her to the punch by punching her in the face. Her head flung back and came back with the butt of her gun to come and hit my head. I saw it coming and gripped her wrist, catching her off-guard. Her eyes widen slight and studied me. My other hand reached up and grabbed her throat again so I could head-butt her. It was just and painful for her as it was for me but I was use to pain so I recovered instantly.

I knelt down and swiped her feet, making her fall on her face. Without hesitating I jumped on her and took both of her arms to hold them against her back. She grunted and tried to fight it, only being able to ruin her hair. My breathing was deep and fast. It had been a while since I had to fight anyone and I was a little rusty. Her head turned up to me. "Get off at me." I leaned forward so that my nose barely grazed her cheek. My eyes bore into hers before forcing her twisted arms more upwards, causing her to gasp from the sharp pain.

Tony placed his hand on my shoulder and I tore away from her. "Riley, you made your point now get off of her...please." His voice was soft and held no authority. He was simply asking. It made my mind to relax and the rush of energy fade away. I turned back to her and looked at the others. They were all shocked, including the eye patch man. I suddenly felt bad and loosened my grip on her before jumping back. She slowly pulled herself off the ground with the help of the smaller blond. She refused to look at me as she nursed her arms. Tony sighed and pulled me behind him. "Her name is Riley Janssen. Now you tell me what is going on so we can get this over with." A sound of thunder and lightening caught all of our attention. The window next to us showed the sky that suddenly turned black as the clouds covered the sky. Tony chuckled and I could see him smirking in the reflection of the glass. "I was wondering when Point Break would be showing up."


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone! I did say that I didn't promise anymore cliffhangers. :P Anyway, thank you for your reviews. I already know that this story is going to be long and Riley will be speaking soon. How soon, I'm not sure. *Riley and Tony walk in***

**Riley: Well it better be soon, I'm getting writers' crap.**

**Me: -_- How do you think I feel?**

**Tony: By any chance, is there going to be a topless scene coming yet?**

**Riley and Me: No**

**Tony: *Pouts***

* * *

><p>I was thoroughly pissed off when I saw everyone in my kitchen, even though I had expected them. For a split moment I had forgotten Riley that rested in my arms until she broke free from me. Her emotions rolled off of her like a addicting perfume. Anger, fear and surprised. The look in her eyes, complete distortion, was kept to the floor. They were beautiful like always, even in this situation. Cold heat burn in her pupils igniting her source of power to run through her. I knew that the other were going to pick up on it so I thought up of ways to get them out of here as soon as I could. Distracting people was always easy but for the Avengers, it came as a great challenge. Though I did have everyone's attention...except Bruce. He walked right up to her and extended his arm to greet her. Bruce would be one of the few people that could understand the self-control it takes to hold in such anger and I thought that maybe he and Riley could get along.<p>

But she had denied him. No surprise there. I watched as her eyes scanned everyone, watching for any reason to attack or defend. Tasha walked right up as if Riley posed no threat to her. If she only knew. Extreme tension rolled off the two, causing the rest of us to pull back. Caps came up to me and asked me something but I didn't pay any attention to what he was saying. He poked me and I was about to look at him when the two broke into a fighting stance and attack. They were both fast but Tasha got a good hit on Riley. Clint tried to convince Tasha to stop and then Riley got up and in a split moment she had Tasha under her. I had never known anyone who could pin her so quickly. I had to stop this before it got out of hand. I reached over and carefully grasped Riley's shoulder, catching her attention. Riley pulled away and I was about to start talking when we all heard thunder roaring outside.

Thor was coming.

Riley seemed unsure about the sudden change of weather so I pulled her closer to me, wrapping my arm around her waist to secure her to me. Her muscles had loosened slightly. We all watched the scene and within seconds a bright flash of lightening filled our vision. Thor was landing out on my patio with his normal warrior get-up and giant hammer to his side. It is good seeing him again, even though nothing good would come from it, but good none the less. He smiled at us and walked in with his arms outstretched. "Hello my friends! Tis' good to see you all again!" Thor's eyes scanned us until they landed on Riley behind me. "And who is this fair Lady?!" I felt her cringe from Thor's loud, booming voice.

I spoke up and stepped closer to him. "It's good to see you Thor. This is Riley Janssen, she will be staying with me for a while." Thor craned his neck to get a better look at her. He frowned and pulled away and then turned to everybody else.

"I wish I had come on a better notice but I'm afraid that I might need your aid with my brother. May we sit and talk?" We all agreed and found our way back to my kitchen. Clint, Caps, Bruce, and Tasha sat down on the stools. Fury stood to the side and kept his eye on Riley who stayed close to my side. Thor leaned over the island and waited as I pulled out some glasses and whisky. Riley moved away for a moment so she could grab a soda from my fridge. I was surprised that I had any in there. She popped it open and poured some in a glass and topped it off with the whisky, a ghost smile resting on her lips.

I handed everyone their drinks and looked over to Fury. "Alright, let's get this over with."

Fury nodded his head and took a drink from his glass. "As Thor had said, his brother is back again." Thor looked ashamed and turned away for a moment. "He had informed us yesterday that while the Allfather was sentencing his punishment he was able to slip past them and land back on Earth."

Thor sighed and spoke up before anyone else could take a gasp for air. "You need not to worry so much. Although my brother has escaped he has none of his magic with him. Even though he still causes a great threat here, I am happy to say that many of your people will be spared."

Everyone stayed silent after that and took a few sips of their drinks, letting the news soak in. Riley had both of her hands around her glass, her eyes studied the liquid. The silence was almost killing me until I heard Riley's stomach roar from hunger. Everyone's eyes were on her. Her face was beyond red and was practically crimson. I chuckled and walked over to my pantry. "Are you hungry? What would you like to eat?" She looked around and shuffled her feet to where I was, glancing a what I had in storage. Her finger pointed at a bag of Flaming Hot Cheetos. I grabbed it for her and we went back to the island bar. Riley opened the bag and happily began to crunch on the chips. Fury finished his drink and placed the glass on the bar. I, of course, refilled it.

"We need to start searching through security cams and see if anyone has spotted a lengthy man with black hair who has tried to take over our planet a few months back." His sarcastic voice was entertaining. Bruce and Clint rolled their eyes. Tasha seemed to be lost in thought and Caps stood up.

"We need to start now, the faster we find him the better chance their will be that no more innocents will be hurt in the crossfire." We all nodded to that and I raised my glass.

"Cheers! To successfully capturing Loki!" We all raised our glasses and tipped our heads back to drink. The shattering of a glass caused time to sill for the moment. My head twisted over to Riley, watching as her whole body began to shake. "Hey...are you aright?" Her eyes seemed lost in time. I reached out to touch her to just get smacked away by Fury. He shook his head and stood in front of her. Thor grew tense and got up as well to walk over to us.

Thor bent down to study Riley. I felt overly protective and wanted to push the both of them away. I didn't like the fact that there was two men standing and staring too close to Riley. A second later she shook her head and sucked in a large gulp of air. Her body began to lose its balance so I held on to her. All of our attention was now on her to figure out what was wrong. She whipped her head towards me, eyes glistening with fear and her small hand grabbed for the collar of my shirt.

"DID YOU SAY LOKI?!"

I was at a loss for words. She actually spoke to me, well yelled but same difference. Our eyes were glued to each other, ignoring the others that were watching us like hawks. Especially Hawkeye, hehe. I swallowed the lump in my throat and covered her hands with my own. "Yes...Loki was the one who attacked New York. Why?..." Riley narrowed her eyes and pulled away. Her hands tangled themselves into her own hair. She was distressed and it was killing me. "What's wrong? Riley?"

Thor sighed and swooped up to grabbed Riley and throw her over his shoulder. She gasped, clearly not expecting this. I grew angry and marched in front of Thor. Fury grabbed me. "No, Stark. She knows something about Loki and we need to know what it is. We are taking her back to S.H.E.I.L.D. base." Riley froze and took a second to think about what we all heard before she thrashed about in Thor's large arm. Fear was written all over her face and I was not letting that happen.

"JARVIS! Lock all entrances and exits!" _Yes Sir! _I stopped in front of Thor, growling. "Let. Her. Go. Now!" Thor was unfazed and tried to push me back. I fought him as best I could until Clint and Caps to a hold of both of my arms to hold me back. "Stop it guys!" Tasha stood in front of me to study my eyes.

"He doesn't have the blue glow like Clint did when Loki took control over him...I think Tony is really Tony..." Bruce stood and walked over to us.

"Everyone needs to chill!" We went still, watching as the tips of his forehead had a faint shade of green before it faded away. Bruce took a few deep breaths and turned to Thor. "Please put her down, you're scaring her." Thor thought about it and reluctantly placed Riley back on the ground. She stood still and looked over to Bruce, giving him a smile and ran at me. Pulling away fro Caps and Clint I grabbed her and held her close, whispering some soft words to hopefully calm her nerves.

Fury stepped up and crossed his arms. "She has to come with us, even if it means bringing you along with us, Stark." I knew what the unspoken words really meant. Fury wanted Riley to go willingly and the only she would was with me. I nodded my head and looked down at her. Riley's eyes were casted downward, making me feel extremely guilty.

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><p>We rode in silence on the helicopter on our way to the base. Riley sat in her seat with her knees to her chin, her arms around her legs. She was terrified about going there and I was trying to figure out why. She shouldn't even know that much about S.H.E.I.L.D. and yet she seems to know enough to get scared enough to turn her hair white. I tried to comfort her by rubbing her knees but she shrunk away from me and curled even more into a ball. I felt like she had lost herself in her own mind, trying to block anyone out so she would be safe. My eyes tore away from her to meet Fury's. We stared each other down for the rest of the way. When we landed everyone had gotten out and waited for Riley and me. I went to shake her but she pulled away again. With a deep sigh, I stepped past her comfort zone and just grabbed her hips and pulled her out of the helicopter.<p>

I tried to carry her like I always do. She didn't like it. Riley forced herself from my arms and stood a good distance from everyone. Fury faced everyone and his only eyes landed on her. "Don't try anything. This carrier is too high for you to jump off and if you try to run or hide we will find you and lock you away!" She didn't move to look or answer anybody. "Do I make myself clear?!" She still didn't move.

A painful moment later and we were all walking into the carrier to wherever Fury wanted to go. Caps stood closer to Fury with Thor, who kept looking back at Riley for some reason. Tasha and Clint walked behind me and Bruce strolled next to Riley. Her arms were tightly wrapped around herself and her pace was slow. I wanted to reach out for her even though she would push me away. I needed to protect her, I promised I would. And look where we are now. No wonder she hates me, I would hate me too. It has only been our third, almost fourth, day together and she is now everyone's top suspect.

Before I had time to register where we were heading to I had ran into Thor's back. I mumbled a apology and rubbed my nose. He didn't seem to notice me and stared at the leftover pieces of the alien attack. We were in a large room that had broken pieces of the aircrafts and weapons in container and chains. Everything seemed fairly secure but I confused as to why we were here. "Hey Cyclops! Why are we here?!" Fury was probably not amused by my nickname but I didn't care at the moment.

He turned and opened one of the cases, pulling out a broken weapon of the Chitauri. "Riley, do you know what this is?" She lifted her head to look at the weapon. With a slight termer she shook her head. "No? I will tell you then. This was one of the hundred of its' kind that ended thousands of lives only a few months ago." Riley's eyes were as wide and saucer while fury tried to play the guilt card. "If you knew anything about these weapons, or the creatures that used them on us then that means you are partly responsible for the single biggest massacre in history." Tears rolled down Riley's cheek and she tried to contain herself.

I stepped forward and threw a protective arm around her. "That's enough!-" Fury still continued and walked over to us.

"You are responsible for thousands of innocent lives that should've been spared on that fateful day! You knew about Loki and his plans! You knew what he was bringing to earth and you still let it happen! YOU are a murder!" I grabbed the front of Fury's coat. Tasha and Clint jumped into action and grabbed me. Caps said something to Thor and Bruce knelt next to Riley.

I have enough of this. "You will leave her alone right now! She had nothing to do with this at all!" Fury snapped at me next but I could handle it.

"Don't you think it is a little odd that a woman, who just happens to know Loki, has appeared in your life when Loki escaped? I don't believe in coincidences, Stark." Clint was able to pulled my grip off of him. "This woman is working with him and I can't risk any more lives." Fury turned to the guards by the door. "Take her away. We shall do some tests later." I growled and fought to get out of their hold on me.

My eyes went over to Riley. She stood up fully and looked at the men who were going to take her away. Just as they got into arms length she jumped back and ran to the far side of the room to jump on the tallest piece of alien equipment we had. And it was about twenty feet tall. Her back was to us and we all froze on the spot, awaiting for her to attack. Riley turned her head and her eyes began to give a slight silver glow. A deep feeling of fear settled in the pit of my stomach. I shook off Clint and Tasha and walk closer to her. "Riley...calm down."

Her eyes narrowed on me. The sliver glow of her eyes began to swirl around her lower body. A faint sense of magic came off of her. We were all at a loss for words...well all except one, a man we were not expecting.

"Calm yourself my dear..." My head napped to the tall, lengthy figure who had nearly killed us all.

Loki. He was wearing a dark-green button shirt with a black leather jacket. Dark, baggy jeans and steel toed boots. I dare say that he actually looked good in that. His hair was slightly trimmed and came down to just his shoulders and I could tell that he was getting some sun due to the slight color in his once pale skin. He looked all around healthy, the bastard.

Riley froze and the silver light disappeared. The guards instantly held up their weapons at him, waiting for him to attack. Loki sighed and strolled past them like the cocky bastard he is. Thor called out to him but Loki ignored him, he ignored all of us. His undivided attention was sorely on Riley. My eyes stayed on the both of them, trying to figure out what to do. Fury walked right in front of Loki and sneered at him. "How the hell did you get here without your magic?!"

Loki scoffed and moved around him. "Don't flatter yourselves, I have my ways. Even without my magic." Loki continued to make his way to the piece of Chitauri metal that Riley stood on. His arms outstretched for her. "Come down before you hurt yourself or the...others." We all watched carefully to their reactions. Riley seemed shocked to see him and Loki looked...happy to see her. They had known each other for a long time.

Riley crossed her arms defiantly and turned her head away from him slightly. "You didn't keep your promise." Her voice filled the silence, sending cold shivers down my spine. Loki wasn't affected by her angelic voice and stretched out his arms even further up to her.

"I know...I wanted to protect you but...I have failed you my princess. Please come down, I have missed you." Rage and jealousy boiled in my veins. I was not going to stand aside and let this pass me by so I strolled up to Loki.

"I don't know what is going on between you two but-" My body slammed against a invisible force and I fell back on my ass. "What the fuck?!" I shook my head and raised my eyebrows. Loki was just as shocked as I was and began chuckling before turning back to Riley.

His arms hand lowered slightly. "You have kept up in your training my princess. I'm impressed." My eyes went straight to her and she gave me a apologetic expression. She turned back to Loki, staring him down. Loki sighed and dropped his hands completely. "I know that I haven't been there for you, I regret it terribly. But, as your Master, I command you to get down from there and control yourself." His voice held no anger but little authority, Loki didn't want to upset her any further.

Riley kept her arms crossed and glared at him. "You-...Master, you have left me behind. Left me to suffer alone, to fight alone, to survive alone in complete silence." The light began to grow again. "And then I hear about you attacking my planet! Did you really think I would not find out about that?!" I got up and tested the air around me, searching for another wall. When I was sure that I would be safe I walked forward and past Loki.

"Riley, I promised you I would protect you." I sighed deeply and locked eyes with her. "Come down here, with me." I could barely tell that her eyes had soften up. She loosened her stance and sat down crossed legged. "Riley-"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry but...please stay out of this...Tony." My heart broke, shattered, and caught on fire. The first time I had heard her say my name and it was with regret and depression. My eyes casted downward, I was unsure what to do. Should I walk away? Should I stay? Should I fight? My hands curled into firm fists and I looked back up to her.

"No." She was taken back. "If you're not coming down then I'm coming up!" I jumped over the chain rope and gripped the cold metal chunk, pushing my way up to climb.

Riley stared down at me and I looked up at her as I continued my way, reaching out for her. I was getting close when I felt a hand on my wrist. Brown eyes met darker brown eyes and I suddenly had a flashback to that Disney movie, "The Lion King". I felt like I was about to be thrown off but was pulled up further until I sat next to her. My breaths of air was fast but not exhausting. I turned my head to look at her. Riley was slight amused and shook her head. "You are a idiot, Tony."

I found myself smiling like a jackass and pulled her into my arms. "I know. You really should start talking more, you have a beautiful voice." She giggled in my shoulder. "Okay...now we have to get down." She pulled away and looked down at Loki who was looking like he was thinking of one-hundred and one ways to kill me right now. Good.

"Master...can I...you know...umm." Loki tore his attention from me to her and his whole personality did a 180 change. His thin lips smiled at her and nodded his head. I wasn't sure what she was asking of him at the moment and tried to get a answer from her. She turned to me and took a deep breath of air. "Relax and don't move." I was agreed and the air around us shifted until we were suddenly in front of Loki. I still had Riley in my arms and refused to let her go, giving Loki the best "Fuck you" look I could give.

Fury and the rest had walked up to us, along with his goonies. Their weapons were still raised at Loki and I wished that one of them were a trigger-happy dork right now. Thor extended his arms for Loki. "Brother, please spare the young woman and come back."

Loki rubbed the crook of his nose and shook his head. "I have not come here to fight. I only wish to have my princess." My hands tightened around Riley. Thor stepped closer and stood between Riley and I and Loki.

"Brother, leave this woman alone. She is innocent." I heard Riley scoffed and gently pulled herself from my arms. I was missing her warm frame instantly but I let her go anyway. Riley stood up fully and looked at Thor straight in his eyes.

Loki chuckled and offered his hand to her. "She is not who you think, Thor. I have been with her for many Migrad years now." Riley nodded her head and placed her hand in his. Loki took his chance and pulled her against him without a second thought. We all jumped and were about to pounce them. "I have missed you dearly my princess." Riley embraced him before pulling away and out of his arms.

"Master...you didn't keep your promise." Her voice was emotionless. "What has happened to you?" Loki's eyes had hooded and his head hung slightly. He looked ashamed, something I thought I would never see. "...Something did happen to you. Master?" He closed his eyes and fixed himself.

"It is nothing for you to concern yourself my princess." Loki pulled away from her to look at Fury. "There is a good reason why I am here though, may we speak somewhere else?" Fury growled but reluctantly nodded his head and we were once again leaving to wherever he was taking us. I walked next to Riley and she smiled at me before reaching up and kissing my cheek. Oh yeah, Tony:1 Loki:0.

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><p>We all sat around a large table in a room that would probably be best described as a meeting room. Clint and Tasha sat together, of course, Caps sat at the front of the table with Bruce sitting opposite of him. Thor sat near the end, looking a little depressed. I sat next to him with Riley in my lap. Fury was standing with Loki next to him, his arms crossed and his patience slowly thinning out. "Out with it Loki."<p>

Loki nodded his head and faced us. "As you know, I had tried to use the Chitauri army to take over your realm. I, fortunately, had failed them."

Fury raised his hand to interrupt Loki. "Fortunately? You mean you wanted us to stop you?" Loki remained silent before swallowing a hard lump in his throat. That alone made me nervous.

"Yes...You may not believe me, and I don't blame you for not trusting me one bit." His head motioned to the guards that still had their guns pointed at Loki. "But I speak the truth when I say that I was not...fully responsible for that attack."

Caps stood up and yelled at Loki. "Bullshit! You had threatened all of us and KILLED Phil!" Riley grew tense and tried to get up but I held her down, whispering some calming words in her ear.

Loki sighed and waited for Caps to calm down as well before he continued. "As I said, I don't blame you for not trusting me and my words. You see, when I had fallen off of the Bifrost a while back I was taken by the Chitauri. They had demanded for me to speak and tell them the secrets of Asgrad and our weaknesses. I refused to say anything and after some time..." I could faintly see the sweat that was forming in his brows. Loki was extremely worried about something.

"Master..." Riley spoken up, catching his attention instantly. "The Chitauri...they are shape shifters. Did they-" Loki shook his head, knowing what she was going to ask.

"No, they did not take shape of me during that time. They had tried and even attempted to create clones but they had failed to do so. For during those unknown hours I was tortured and became extremely weak in both body...and mind." Riley got up from my lap and placed her right hand over the center of her chest.

"They had taken control over you." Loki nodded and motioned his head over to Clint.

"Yes...I had done the same to Hawkeye here. I am sorry about that." Clint didn't say anything but crossed his arms. "I know what it's like, being aware of all of your actions but...having no control of yourself. It breaks our pride and make us lose our minds. Luckily for you, you weren't under control for too long. I was under it for at least a year." Loki tried to contain a shiver. "I have seen and done things that I would never curse upon my greatest enemy."

Fury waved off the guards and they lowered their guns but didn't move from the spot. "Yes, that sucks for you and all but what has this got to do with our current situation?"

Riley seemed to be able to understand what Loki was trying to say before any of us could. She scratched the tip of her nose and looked off into the distance. "They are wanting revenge,... that much is obvious. But how, when, and with what is the question." She looked up at Loki, sharing the same expression. I stood up and stretched my muscles.

"Well I say that we leave it off here. I still have a bit of jet-lag in me and a trip in a helicopter isn't helping either. I want to take a nap." Bruce nodded his head and stood up too, Clint and Tasha following close. Fury thought about it and turned his attention to us.

"I think we had enough excitement for one day. We will pick up the rest tomorrow." He turned to Loki and Loki lowered his head, defeated since he knew what was coming. "Since I cannot fully trust you, or Riley, I will have you both put under surveillance in one of our cells."

I raised my hand and wrapped my arm around Riley's waist. "I volunteer to watch over Riley." Fury rolled his eye and Loki growled, letting all of us hear it loud and clear. Riley sighed with a chuckle before she leaned up to kiss my cheek, making me grin like a idiot.

"I think that I should stay close to Master. There are some things I need to talk about with him." She turned to Fury. "I understand that we will be watched and that is fine, nothing is a secret between us but I cannot wait any longer. And I most likely not get any sleep until I get some answers anyway." Riley faced Caps and the other. "If I may...I am really sorry. If I had know that they would attack us I would've put a stop to it a long time ago." She felt very guilty and I blame Fury for it. I nodded my head and placed my hand against her cheek.

"I will see you tomorrow." I leaned down and kissed her on the lips, earning two shocked gasps and someone had clapped a few times but I couldn't tell who. When I pulled away I saw her eyes shined and her cheeks flushed, making my day entirely. My head tilted up to see that Loki had his back to us. We pulled away and watched as the guards escorted Riley and Loki out of the room to their cell. My tongue ran over my lips, savoring her sweet taste. Tony:2 Loki:0, looks like I'm winning Reindeer Games.

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><p><strong>I know, I know. I had to leave it like that because it was getting too long anyway. The next chapter will have some back story between Riley and Loki so be prepared. It will probably be long too but I like my stories like that. I hope you enjoy and I will get started on the next chapter.<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Holy crap that is a fast update! I wasn't expecting it to come this fast so don't be expecting them to continue like this. When the mood hits me I will write like there is no tomorrow. Anyway, like I said before their is a little back story and I don't care much for writing them. Even though they are needed I will not be doing that often. Enjoy, this will be filled with a lot of them feels, be prepared.**

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><p>I wasn't sure what to believe anymore. The man..., the god I thought I knew had attacked New York. Had killed thousands of lives and has left me empty and alone for years. Loki, the God of Mischief, my mentor and every other name he has obtained. It was now thrown out the window. Tony had tried to calm me down but even Iron Man couldn't stop the torturous memories that flooded back before my eyes. I wanted to tell Tony what was wrong but would he believe me? Would he understand why I felt this way? Would he even care is the biggest question.<p>

Tony promised me that he would protect me, that he would keep S.H.E.I.L.D. from taking me away. He broke that promise even if he came along or not. My future was bounded to eternal pain and it had now just begun. I guess I should be thankful that they didn't cuff me. I can't stand being restricted. It was all because of those doctors when I was a little girl. The whole city had sent everyone they could think of to get rid of me. I didn't mean to hurt that little boy, I never had a single thought of killing at all, it just happened. I was barely a child when the accident happened, and I still hate myself to this day for it.

The vibrations of the helicopter put my mind at rest but my body remained on edge, expecting a attack when I would least expect it. My eyes drifted closed, Tony being the last person I saw before I had my dreams catch up to me.

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><p><em>A young girl with a amazing talent for drawing had minded her own business on that fateful day. The teachers had challenged her to draw her future, curious to what the young girl's imagination would take her. They even had been so generous as to let her use that whole day to draw. She was ecstatic and instantly began to draw with the colorful sticks of chalk she had been granted. She first started using the yellow chalk, drawing a big tower of gold that reached up for the sky and beyond the stars. The young girl then picked up the green and blue chalk, creating a bright forest and a clear sky. Her picture stretched for about a few feet long, taking up a lot of the sidewalk.<em>

_She then began to draw herself, wearing a silver princess dress standing next to her prince charming. The teachers believed her picture to be nothing more than a average girls' fantasy. She believed it to be her actual future as she poured her soul into her art. After a hour of drawing the young girl had been highly impressed with her work, taking in great pride. She decided to create beautiful creatures next and went to pick up another stick of chalk when a boy of her age had ran up to her. _

_She thought nothing of him at the time and chose to ignore the boy and went back to work, starting to draw a black wolf. She started with the wolf's head when her beautiful picture began to dissolve in front of her, her prince charming fading away. The young girl was shocked and upset, her future vanished. She looked up and saw the same boy pouring his water over her chalk drawings, destroying a hour of drawing in merely seconds. She hated the boy and wanted to scream, anger shifting inside her small body. She imagined herself pushing the boy away from her drawings, trying to protect her prince charming. When she opened her eyes she saw the boy lying against the basketball pole, unmoving and not breathing. The kids around her screamed and begged for their mothers and fathers but it all went unheard to the young girl's ears._

_A teacher ran up to her and grabbed the girl, shaking her and demanding a answer to what happened. The girl didn't know but she was scared, that much she did know. Fear coursed through her heart when the police took her away and locked her in a cold and dark room. She didn't know how long she was left there but when someone did open the door she had wished that she was left there. Tall and ugly men in white coats grabbed her roughly, wrapping a thick jacket around her that kept her from moving her arms and hips. The young girl was taken away again and was chained in a doctor's room. Metal trays with strange tool lined up against the bed that she was locked to._

_There was six men that loomed over her, casting dark shadows over her body. It was almost a disconcerting comfort; the shadows kept her from seeing but she deeply feared what she couldn't see. The doctors had injected strange liquid in her arms many times and she felt different every time they did so. She would feel cold, hot, tired, angry, and confused. They had watched carefully each time they did so, wanting to understand what made her so different from the other children. But the poor little girl just wanted to be left alone._

_Every second of every minute in each hour, that young girl had prayed to any god to save her, if it may be to end her life then so be it. She was scared and she knew that they would not let her go. It may have been days or even weeks, she was unsure how long she had been there but it was too long. Still, she prayed and prayed until one day she had heard a voice whisper so sweetly to her. "You hold great potential to have caught my interest, Child." A deep, smooth voice was over heard by her ears only. She wanted to say something but with a gag that the men had secured over her lips it was impossible to make a single noise but a grunt._

_The voice was a bit louder the next time, almost sounding closer, "You wish to be freed? To what cost will you be giving in return?" The young girl's eyes watered. She was willing to give anything for her nightmare to end. The voice seemed to understand and made himself present next to the metal bed that she laid on. Tall and handsome, he looked like her prince charming she had imagined. His black hair shined like the night sky. His outfit screamed royalty with its green and gold leather. His green eyes glowed like deep emeralds as he gazed over her. His thin, pink lips parted as he began to speak. "Will you serve me? Become my prodigy? And become completely submissive to me?" Most of his words had confused her but she was willing to do anything so she nodded her head. His thin lips made a smile of satisfaction before turning away._

_"Close your eyes Child. I do not wish for you to witness this, you are to young and innocent." She complied and shut her eyes. The young girl didn't know what had happened but with the memorizing screams of terror from the doctors, she had a good idea. Thankfully for her the screams didn't last long but she still didn't dare open her eyes until he had told her it would be safe. The chains of leather and metal loosened around her body, creating a wave of relief. Cold, but soothing, finger tips danced over her cheeks and pulled the gag off of her. She took a deep breath of air and still didn't open her eyes. She listened as a deep chuckled filled the silence._

_"You are easily tamed it seems. You may open your eyes now, Child." The young girl blinked a few times and rubbed her dry eyes. Her hands pushed her up until she sat comfortably on the bed. She felt a large hand on top of her head, catching her attention. The young girl looked over to her savior and swallowed a dry lump in her small throat._

_"Who...who are...you?" Her voice was raspy and crackled. Her muffled screams had done some damage to her voice. The young girl's savior stood fully and extended his hand for her._

_"I am Loki, the God of Mischief and the future king of Asgrad." His voice held great authority but he didn't scare her. He had saved her and she would be forever grateful for him. She placed her smaller hand in his, smiling brightly at him before he had taken her away._

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><p>Loki had saved me that day. He was there for me when I had began to grow until I had reached fifteen. My eyes opened and looked around my surroundings, not realizing that we were inside a strange place and out of the helicopter. We entered a large room with pieces of alien technology that I instantly recognized from Loki's teachings. I felt like I had walked into a museum. The African American named Fury, walked and told me our purpose for being here. He was blaming me for the deaths of the innocent the day that the alien army attacked New York. He yelled at me and told me that I was at fault for not warning anybody of the attack, calling me a killer.<p>

It broke my soul because it felt true to me. I had known about the Chitauri species but I had never thought that they would attack Earth. I was crushed and my uncontrollable power ran through me like a hot knife. I was about to lose control and start to fight back so I ran and put a good distance between me and the others. I was scared that I could hurt them, that I would hurt Tony. Even after years of training I still didn't have full control, and I may never will.

A familiar voice rang in my ears, remembering the same feeling I had when the first time I had heard that voice. It always sent shivers through my skin, causing my hair to stand on end. Loki had returned, but at a bad time. I was frustrated with him on many different levels. Though, somehow I was able to calm myself when Tony came. His cocky behavior had entertained me and before I knew it my spirits were lifted and we left. Loki wanted to talk and I wanted to talk as well, needing answers from him.

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><p>The guards had placed Loki and I in a small cell that had no windows or bars. It was one, white room with one bed and a toilet with a sink by the far wall. I looked up and saw that there was a camera at each corner of the room. My head turned to Loki who had made himself comfortable on the one bed. My arms crossed over my chest, waiting for him to say something. Loki kept his eyes on me, he has always done so and will always in the future. I had accepted that but I needed more than his judging eyes. My feet moved to stand in front of him. He sighed and rubbed his forehead before he finally began to speak. "Remember the day when I had first met you? I had said that you were easily tamed; I was very wrong, wasn't I?"<p>

I didn't understand why but that one statement left me to smirk. "Master-" He lifted his hand and stood from his seat on the bed. His height was overpowering. Loki was tall but even as I had grown up over the years he was still at least six inches taller than me. I barely reached his chin.

"I want you to know, my princess, that I have watched over you during those years I was absent. You have impressed me with your strength in mind and body." I watched his small Adam's Apple bounce when he swallowed. "I think that you have gained the right to call me by my name now."

My finger nails dug into my skin on my arms. "I will call you whatever I feel best fits you, you Bastard!"

Loki kept my eye contact and seemed slightly taken back. "Well...it is a honor to say my name after all of these years of being my prodigy. I figured you would be thrilled." His sarcastic attitude only added to the flames in my heart.

"What about the years when you weren't there?! What about the time when you would disappear for weeks on end without ever telling me?!" I threw my hands in the air, wanting to hit him so badly. "There are so many new titles I would be _honored_ to bestow upon you right now!"

We remained silent and still after that, letting all of our emotions fade away. Loki's thin lips made a smile and he leaned closer to me. Our noses touched but I didn't back away, continuing our stare war. After a minute went by we both began chuckling together. It felt great so we laughed harder. His arms held me close to him and I pulled him closer to me, missing our moments like this and only wished that it was private. Loki eventually put me down and cupped my face in his cold hand. I nuzzled closer to his palm, wanting his cool skin to relieve my hot and tired muscles. "My princess, do you remember why I had left in the first place?"

I closed my eyes and sighed in his hand. I was able to feel the slightest shiver but said nothing of it. "I do...you were planning on taking the throne and becoming the king or your realm. But..." I took his hand off and casted my eyes downward. "When you didn't return I figured that you had succeeded and found yourself a beautiful queen to be by your side."

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><p><em>Young Riley of age fifteen ran through the forest that would lead to Loki secret cottage. It was where they would spend their days learning magic and other worldly creatures. Her feet patted against the soft ground, making only the smallest sounds while she continued her jog. It was only about a half mile so it never took her very long. Riley was very excited for today, she had accomplished her levitation ability after training for almost a year and she had finally found a way to control it. She would meet Loki, her Master, after sundown and tell him the good news.<em>

_The sight of the cottage came into view and her smile only grew wider. Her Master was everything to her and he would surely be impressed with her accomplishment. He always complemented on her natural ability to use magic but when it came to using her actual abilities it would often take her months. But now she knew she had finally taken a first step to earning Loki's love._

_Riley slowed her pace and quietly walked up to the door. Loki had always snap at her for not being stealthy enough when it came to sparring or sneaking around. But she had a good control over that now and would try her best to catch him off guard. Yet, she never succeeded. Her fingers gently pressed against the wooden door and froze. Something was wrong. She feared that someone may have found them and hurt him. That was a normal fear that she endured everyday, someone finding her god and taking him away from her._

_Riley shook her head and pushed the door open, slightly shocked at the sight. The normal cottage would have every inch of the place covered in books of every language of every realm, filled with stories and histories to much of her delight. But all there was left was a single table that rested near the fire place, silver flames danced in the golden light of the room. There, sitting at the table with his head in his hands was her Master, Loki. She quietly moved inside and closed the door behind herself, catching his attention. His head snapped up and the beautiful, green eyes looked straight into her soul. "My princess...you are early."_

_She shook her head and showed Loki her wristwatch. "No, Master, I'm on time. I have great news!" Riley bounced over to him with her lips stretched across her face, showing how happy she was. Loki chuckled and relaxed._

_"Oh? What is it my princess?" Riley rolled her eyes at his normal pet name he had given her years ago. She took a deep breath in and stayed perfectly still, focusing all of her attention on her Master, not like it was that hard for her anyway. Soon she felt the warm power run down her veins of her arms until they reached her finger tips. With a quick lick of her lips Loki's seat began to float, taking him into the air. The pressure of his weight weighed heavily in her lungs but she held him there for a few seconds before she slowly placed him back on the ground._

_Riley sucked in a sharp breath of air and gave Loki a wide grin. "I have finally learned to use levitation! What do you think?!" Loki's eyes had widen at how much strength she had to lift him off the ground so easily and gracefully. He was never so proud of her as he was now. Loki stood up and walked up to her and kissed the tip of her nose, making a lovely shade of rose grow on her cheeks._

_"You are magnificent my princess. Never forget that." Loki leaned in and wanted to kiss her lips but forced himself to settle for her cheek instead. He was rewarded with her flushed face. "Though today is not all as well my princess. I have news that you need to listen to carefully." Riley became serious and nodded her head, tuning in to whatever he needed to say. "As you have known I am to be competing to take the throne of my realm."_

_Riley nodded her head. "Yes, Asgrad."_

_Loki's lips quirked up at her normal behavior of interruption. "Well, the time will becoming soon..." Riley's lack of smile instantly made him feel guilty. "Which means that I have to be leaving you for a while." Loki turned away and placed three book on the table. "These are the last of the book that you will be needing to study. They are mostly stories but I think you will enjoy them."_

_She stepped back and tried to hide the depression in her eyes. "So this must really be big if you are actually telling me that you are leaving me." Riley tried to hide her hurt but nobody could lie to the god of lies himself. Loki nodded his head and opened his arms allowing Riley to run into his arms with tears in her eyes. He didn't want to leave her and he knew that he would be gone for a long time but he had to do this. He needed to have his complete focuse on that goal. "Good luck, Master! May you take the throne and become the king you deserve!" Her kind words had always found a way to melt his heart. They pulled away and Riley wiped away her tears. "But you must promise me something."_

_Loki chuckled and helped her brush away her tears. "You are making demands out of me? Fine, I shall humor you for now."_

_Riley licked her lips again and calmed her breathing. "You must promise me that you will return once it is over so I can hear the news, no matter if you win or not." Loki nodded and was about to speak but she cut him off. "And! And...come to visit at least once a year. I want to hear about everything." Loki's breath was caught in his throat. He couldn't promise that, if he was leaving now then it meant for good until it was over. His green eyes looked over her, her small and young heart raced frantically in her chest. He could hear it._

_"My princess...I promise." Loki hated himself for daring to lie to his own future queen, something he promised he would never do. Riley's faced lit up and she threw herself into his arms. Before she pulled away she decided to be brave and test her boundaries. Riley reached up and cupped his face in both of her hands, pulling him down to kiss her. Their lips meeting briefly and savoring. _

_Loki and Riley had spent the rest of their night together in each other's arms, memorizing every detail of the other._

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><p>That day was one of my bests and worsts. Tears wanted to run down my cheek but I held them back, not wanting to indulge them. "I know I have said this...but you didn't keep your promise." Loki sighed through his nose, defeated knowing that I would not let it go so easily. His hands took mine and led me to the bed. He sat down and placed me in his lap, suddenly becoming very intimate.<p>

"I know...I hated myself for lying to you but I didn't want to hurt you at the time. I would do anything to visit and continue to watch you grow before my eyes but I couldn't." Loki's voice was low just barely louder than a whisper. I could tell by the tone in his voice, he was just as disappointed as I was.

Loki's head rested against my breasts, my arms rested around the back of his neck and head. "Mas-...Loki," He shivered again. "I wasn't as disappointed as I was scared for you. I was worried that something bad had happened to you. How was I suppose to know if you were safe or even alive and after almost ten years later I had to give you up." Now my voice was filled with so much of my pathetic emotions it was making me sick.

Loki's arms held me tighter. "I'm sorry I left you in the dark like that my princess." I sighed and pulled away so I could lift his face to look at me.

"Damnit Loki, we are over the pet names, right? Call me who I am." He chuckled and smirked.

"You are right. I should call you by your true title." I raised a eyebrow, not trusting his silver tongue. "I can only say this, forgive me. I am only but a fool, my Queen." I rolled my eyes and groaned, sneaky bastard. "I guess I shall leave you to rest then..." My head snapped back to look at him.

To be truthful, I wanted to stay by him but he was right. I needed to rest. I forced myself to leave his embrace and stand up. He followed and caressed my cheek with the back of his knuckles. "Sleep well...Loki. I will see you as soon as I can. We still have more we need to discuss." Loki smirked.

I was about to pull away when he quickly swooped down and kissed my lips, instant desire that was suppose to be long forgotten had made itself known once again. The kiss was swift but lustful, the complete essence of Loki himself. "Goodnight, my Queen." I found myself smiling and nodded my head before leaving the room a second later. There were two guards that motioned me to follow. They lead me through long hallways with twists and turns that I couldn't remember for the life of me until we had stopped in front of a door. We stayed still, I didn't know what to do so I nervously looked at the guard that were barely taller than me. The one to my right sighed and knocked on the door. It opened to a very tired Tony, though he instantly perked up when he saw me.

"Done already?" He faced the guards. "Thanks boys, now beat it." His strong hand had pulled me from the hallway and before I could blink I was in a queen size bed, ironically, with Tony resting behind me. He draped his arm over my waist and I felt his nose hide in the nape of my neck. "Get some rest, Riley." He yawned and I smirked, some people will never change. My lips opened to release a quiet yawn and my eyes fluttered closed, dreams overtaking me instantly for a bumpy ride for the night.

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><p><strong>I realized that I kinda made Loki seem like a pedophile in this chapter and I am almost sorry about that. I think it's cute like that and please don't judge me for it. The next chapter will go back to Tony. I'm not quite sure how it is going to be but their will be war plans. Yay -_-...<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry about the late update, I don't have a excuse for it except I have been caught up in another FanFiction that is long as hell.**

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><p>Waking up to a warm body has to be the top of life's best pleasures. Except I didn't have a chance to experience that pleasure this time since Riley was already up. My arm had reached over the bed sheets to try and find her but came up short. I opened one eye and scanned the room. The sun was barely shinning through the window, giving the room a small, orange glow. I rubbed my eyes and rolled over onto my back. My body felt much better now that I had a chance to relax and catch up on my much needed rest. I swung my legs over the bed and shivered when my feet touched the cold floor. The cold is not my friend in the morning, or evening.<p>

"Uhh..." I ran my fingers through my hair and was finally able to hear the shower running five feet away. "Damn...I am getting old." My hands pushed me up from the bed and stumbled my way over to the bathroom. As I reached the door I was able to hear music playing. Classic 80's 'Pour Some Sugar on Me' was singing with the shower, making the song even more hotter. I smirked and lifted my hand and carefully knocked on the door. A few seconds went by and the music was turned down a few notches.

"Yes?" I smirked to myself when she responded. Riley sounded a little nervous and it was damn cute.

"Hey, it's me. I need to take a piss." Another few seconds went by before she answered and let me in. The bathroom was steamy and hot, not helping me in any way whatsoever. It was fairly small but enough for two people. I walked up to the toilet and unzipped my fly, relieving myself. My eyes glanced over to the shower curtain and moved over to the sink next to me. My phone way resting on the counter top, the source where the music came from. I should be at least a little upset that she took it without asking me but it didn't faze me any. "JARVIS, continue playing that song."

"_Of course, Sir._" The music continued and I found myself singing along with it.

"Listen, red light, yellow light, green light, go. Crazy little woman in a one man show.~" The curtain pulled back slightly exposing Riley's face and her wet hair.

"I didn't know you could sing." Her expression told me she was shocked. I, personally, don't think that I was a good singer but if she likes it then I would put on a concert for her if she wanted. Riley glanced at the phone and smiled. "JARVIS? could you replay that song from the beginning?" JARVIS agreed and the song restarted.

"You want me to sing?" She nodded before returning to her shower. I shrugged and stood in front of the sink to wash my hands while singing. "Love is like a bomb, baby, c'mon get it on. Livin' like a lover with a radar phone. Lookin' like a tramp, like a video vamp. Demolition woman, can I be your man?" I dried my hands and leaned against the opposite wall, looking at the curtain again. "Razzle 'n' a dazzle 'n' a flash a little light. Television lover, baby, go all night. Sometime, anytime, sugar me sweet. Little miss innocent sugar me, yeah. Come on! Take the bottle, shake it up. Break the bubble, break it up." I saw Riley sneak a peek at me behind the curtain again and I smiled at her. "Pour some sugar on me, oh in the name of love! Pour some sugar on me, c'mon fire me up. Pour some sugar on me, I can't get enough." I pushed myself off the wall and struck a pose like a male model. "I'm hot, sticky sweet from my head to my feet. Yeah!"

Riley laughed and disappeared to turn off the shower. "I wish I had that on recording." I chuckled and reached over to grabbed the white towel and hand it over to the curtain, sticking only my arm through it.

"And I'm glad you didn't." She took it and I stepped back, allowing her to open the curtain to me. Riley's short hair clung to the sides of her face. Water drops trickled down her smooth arms. The white towel was wrapped tightly around her body from her collar bone to her knees, leaving my imagination to run wild at the moment. My lips smirked before I gave a approving whistle. "Can I get a peek?" Riley scoffed and opened the door, pointing back to the room. My tongue moistened my lips before I gave her my best puppy dog eyes. "I promise I will be good. Can I pretty please stay?"

Riley lowered her arm and stepped up at me and wrapped her arms around my neck. I was seriously liking where this was going until she twirled me around and forced me out the door. "No. Bad boy."

I turned around as the door closed and crossed my arms. "But I like being a bad boy." I waited a few more seconds for her to hopefully change her mind. Wishful thinking on my part. I sighed and walked over to the open closet and pulled out one of my button down shirts. I took off my shirt and slipped on the black button shirt and started digging for some pants. I pulled out a pair of old, faded jeans that had some oil stains and put them on. Within seconds I had finished getting clothes on and turned back to the bathroom. I knocked twice, waiting for a response. "Riley?"

My fingers drummed on my thighs as I waited. "Yeah?..." Her voice was a little weak, which had me worried.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" I stepped back, getting ready to kick the door open when I heard the doorknob turn. Riley stepped out wearing a completely different set of clothes. A Dark green, leather trench coat was on top of a deep amethyst corset shirt. A heavy belt buckle with a image of a snake rested on her black jeans that flared to reveal black biker boots. She looked smoking hot and I found my mouth drying up. "How-...What-...Huh?!" Riley sighed and hung on the side of the doorway.

"It's a long story and I want to wait and get everyone together so I don't have to explain ten billion times." I nodded my head and offered the crook of my arms for her. Riley smiled gratefully at me and accepted it as we headed out the door to find the others.

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><p>Everyone sat around the large table. Clint, Natasha and Caps sat on one side while Thor, Riley and I sat on the other with Fury standing in front of us and Bruce playing with something on his tablet. We all waited for Rock-of-Ages to make his grand appearance. Natasha stared at Riley and leaned over the table. "So now you are willing to talk? That was quite the reunion you and Loki had earlier."<p>

Riley didn't even glance at her but sighed. "I will explain when Loki gets here." She rested comfortably in her seat, her chest rising and falling slowly and deeply. Her eyes turned towards me and her eyebrow rose gracefully. "Something wrong?"

I shook my head. "No, I was making sure you were okay. You are pretty winded." Riley nodded her head and rubbed her temples. She didn't answer me because the door suddenly opened with two goonies and a peeved Loki. "Ooo! Woke up on the wrong side of the cell?"

Loki bit his bottom lip and held up his cuffed wrists to the goonies. They released Loki and took a step back. "Ah, yes. I slept wonderfully, how about you Mr. Stark?" I gave him a thumbs up while saying some pretty nasty things to him inside my head. Riley forced herself up with a wobble, catching Loki's attention. "My Queen? What did you do?"

Riley chuckled and stepped forward with her right foot, moving her arms to the side and bending over. She looked as if she was bowing to a dance partner. "I, unfortunately, have not been practicing all of my skills. So in the end I'm a little rusty." Everyone remained quiet while we watched them interact.

"I can tell, if I could I would help you but for now I'm a little useless." Loki closed his legs and placed his left arm behind his back while his right crossed his chest before he too bowed. "But if it makes you feel better, My Queen, you look ravishing." They both stood up and smiled to each other, enjoying a inside joke I know they have.

Natasha scoffed and crossed her arms. "You have been upgraded from "My Princess" to "My Queen", how do you feel?"

Riley turned towards her and smirked. "Like royalty. As soon as you find yourself a good man that can stand you long enough you will understand." Natasha stayed quiet while Loki laughed.

"Ah, I see now that you have obtained my silvertongue. Well done." Riley giggled and I felt a bit forgotten. I reached up and wrapped my arms around Riley's waist, pulling her into my lap. She squeaked and Loki looked ready to start a fight, which was fine for me. I would love to throw in a few punches to his damn face.

"Alright everyone." Fury took charge, "We may now have a even bigger problem with a unknown entity that wants to destroy our world."

Rock-of-Ages shook his head. "I hate to correct you," Liar. "but he doesn't want to destroy it but more of contort it." What?

Fury turned to face him fully. "Okay then, you explain and take it from the top." Loki nodded and stole a glance at Thor behind me.

"It starts out when I had fallen off the Bifrost. I had been ready to accept death at that point but was refused." He closed his eyes and frowned. "I felt like I had been falling for days, maybe even weeks. I was alone and stuck with myself and my thoughts. Soon my thoughts morphed into memories and soon began to hate everyone all over again. I believe that was when...Him caught me." He reopened his eyes and looked at Thor, his emotions hidden within and his face showing nothing. "I believe you know who I speak of, Thor."

Our heads moved to Thor who sat quietly with his hands clasped together on the table. "Yes, Brother..." Thunderbutt looked nervous, more so than usual. "Allfather believed Him to be locked away..."

Riley spoke up. "That's not true. King Odin knew that there was no way that he could lock Him away. He just wanted everyone to rest with their ignorance at night. And you know better than to believe otherwise." Thor sat straight up and looked like he was going to explode. "Thor, I know you don't want to believe this but your father is not the strongest being in the whole world." She adjusted herself and took a deep breath. "We all answer to a higher power. Normal people are below other like Bruce and Tony. They in return answer to others like Thor and Loki. And they in return are below the great kings of the Nine Realms. And even those kings have to answer to Him. It's a never-ending circle."

I was impressed by her wisdom and tighten my grip around her. She turned to look at me and smile before looking back to Thor. He sighed and nodded his head. "You are right Lady Janssen." Thor closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat. "Loki, you have taught her well." Our attention was directed back to Loki.

He shrugged. "She was already smart, I just helped her open her beautiful mind to more knowledge." Loki faced Fury. "Before I go any further I must know. I am being recorded, correct?" Fury nodded. "And I can be ensured that no one else will be able to lean what I am going to say outside of this room?" Fury narrowed his one eye on his and looked over to the guards behind Loki, shooing them out. "Thank you." Rock-of-Ages pulled out a chair, Fury's chair, and made himself comfortable. "Now then, My Queen?" She hummed. "Pop quiz, define "Him" for us all."

Riley nodded and stood up to face everyone. "Him is a reborn being of Death. Born from Eternals Mentor and Sui-San on Saturn's moon. Nobody should speak of his name or else he becomes aware of your presence and is said to bring him more power so people develop referring him to "Him". He has a great obsession with the embodiment of Death herself-" Bruce raised his hand and Riley acknowledge him.

"You are saying that Death is a actual person, a woman to be more precise? How is that possible?" Riley looked over to Loki who smiled and waved his hand for her to continue.

"Yes, you are correct. Death his a woman." For some reason I suddenly became worried but kept my mouth shut. I wasn't liking the idea of Death being a woman. No soiree, not at all. "Mistress Death is a very unforgiving but amazingly wise woman. She is the key balance between life and death, making sure nothing goes out of whack. Him fell in love for Death and had decided to end all life as to prove his love for her."

Clint seemed interested enough to speak up. "But if her job was to keep the balance between life and death wouldn't that mean, "Him" would be screwing up her whole meaning of existence?" Riley smiled.

"I never said that Him was a smart man. In fact, Him is very selfish and childish when it comes to his personal desire to prove his worthiness to Death." Riley shoved her hands in her pockets and continued. "It has said that Him was almost on the brink of destroying everything in the Nine Realms until King Odin and his army stepped in to stop him. They say that the war had lasted six months, nonstop, before Him was finally defeated. No one is completely sure what had happen to Him after King Odin was threw with him but everyone knows that he is still alive, waiting for his chance to get his revenge."

Loki smiled brightly at her. "Well done, you have continued your studies." She blushed and sat down in her own chair.

Fury sighed, getting a little impatient. "Okay, so now we know of his obsession with Death. How is that important to us then and now?"

Rock-of-Ages ignored Fury and made himself comfortable before talking again. "While I was falling for who knows how long I had caught His attention. With his strength, he pulled me out of the eternal abyss and had taken me to another...how should I put it?...A timeless void?"

I decided now was the time to speak what was bugging me from the start. "How do we know you are not bullshiting us right now. I mean a timeless void? Really?" Everyone nodded their heads in agreement except for Riley and Thor who were staring at Loki. "Umm, Riley?"

Thor stood up, gripping the rim of the table. "Brother, a timeless void means that you had no power to protect yourself."

Loki nodded his head. "Yes, that was the only reason I knew that was where I was to be absolutely sure about. Him had taken my weak form and chained me down in a dark place. It seems that even though we were in that timeless void, Him was still able to keep some of his powers. Probably because Odin had told his people they were safe enough to speak his name whenever they please." Riley slightly shuddered so I reached over and took her hand in mine, giving it a squeeze.

Riley relaxed and pulled my hand closer to her. "Loki, what did he do to you?"

He shook his head and avoided all eye contact. "That is something you needn't to worry about My Queen. After some time he was able to break me and use me as a doorway to the other side of the void. He wanted to use me to kill Odin and take control over a realm that way he could start a army. Like Clint, I was aware of what I was doing but had no control over my actions."

My eyes glanced over to Clint. He grimaced, remembering what he did most likely. Bruce stood up and closed his laptop. "Him was the one who created that scepter you had when you took control over Clint, right?" Loki nodded. "I still have that data from when I was studying it. I might be able to create a kinetic force that can neutralize Him." Loki and Thor both stood up.

Riley was a little shocked. "You can do that?" Bruce nodded and looked over at me expectantly.

I automatically stood up but froze when my eyes landed on Riley. I didn't want to leave her yet. "Sorry Green Giant, I will check that out with you later." Bruce gave me a hard stare but shrugged his shoulders and walked out of the room anyway. I made a mental note to make it up to him later.

Fury took Bruce's seat and crossed his leg over his knee. "Alright, so "Him" was wanting to use you to get revenge on Odin by using Earth as a military base?" Loki nodded his head. "So now we need to know when, where, and how Him is going to do this."

Caps cleared his throat and stood up. "I believe this is where you tell us your demands and we tell you that it's not going to happen. So we are going to fight this guy on our own anyway." I smiled at Cap and agreed with him.

"Yeah, Spangles is right." Cap looked unhappy with my nickname. "So tell us what you want before we kick you off and have Point Break send you back home."

Rock-of-Ages sighed and reached over to take Riley's hand. "I only ask for little," Again, liar. "One: I want My Queen to be safe and away from this all out war."

Riley jumped from her seat. "Not happening!" I stood up and tried to calm her down. Riley brushed me off and stared at Loki. "I am going to fight with the Avengers and you can't stop me."

The rest of us began to rise, including Loki. "My Queen, you don't understand. Him wants revenge and I don't want you hurt in the crossfire."

"How do you even know that Him would be coming after me?! I can defend myself!"

"Because he will be going after my heart!" Silence, complete and awkward silence. "My Queen, Him saw my memories. You are the source at getting his revenge for my failure."

Riley shook her head and crossed her arms, breathing heavily. "You don't understand. I can defend myself. Besides, you still need to tell use your other demand."

We all could tell that she wanted to direct the attention away from her. Loki gathered himself while trying his best not to explode, just like Thor. "The next thing I ask is that Odin gives me my magic back for the war."

Thor walked up to stand next to me. He was trying to figure out Loki's hidden intention just like the rest of us. "Brother,...you only desire your magic for the war. Not before or after?"

"Yes, I only want to help and destroy Him. Even if it meant never getting my magic afterwards. My Queen is the only one I wish to protect." He turned to face Fury. "Even if I was in control or not I still caused a great amount of damage for your realm and I am taking responsibility for it. I only wish to have my magic to defend, protect, and kill Him."

We all looked at Fury. Clint and Natasha were not happy and tried to convince Fury not to trust Loki. Riley was getting upset and turned her face at me. "What do you think?" Her voice was a small whisper, pleading that I taker her side in this. She was exhausted and was clearly over with all of our problems already. I tried to comfort her with my smile and opened my arms for her. She stepped in and leaned her head against my chest. "I trust Loki, he won't betray me Tony."

Damn this woman. "Hey! Everyone!" The room went silent and all eyes were on me. "I speak from experience when I say that everyone should take a second chance. I was given a second chance even after practically betraying our country and maybe..." Riley's face tilted up at me, watching as I tried to form the words I thought I would never say. "Loki could be helpful for us. He deserves one more chance."

Caps walked around the table and stood right in front of me. "Your are talking about a man that killed hundreds of innocent people. Killed our friend. Tried to kill Thor, and threw you out your own window. And you want to give him another chance?!"

Riley pulled out from my arms and turned to Loki. "You threw Tony out his window? And tried to kill Thor?"

Loki chuckled and crossed his arms. "I knew very well that they would survive. I was ordered to remove anyone who tried to get into my way, not kill them specifically. If I was actually trying to kill them I would've." We weren't impressed by his statement. "Although I will admit that when I tried to take control over Mr. Stark I was indeed surprised that the scepter did not work."

"If that was suppose to make me feel better then it's not working Reindeer Games." I received a smack in the arm by Riley. "What?"

She shook her head and sat back in her seat. "We are getting off track. Him is coming to get his revenge and here we are, with our thumbs up out asses trying to get under each others skins. Thor, can you talk to your father for us?"

Thor stood straight before kneeling in front of her. "I will do my best to per sway my father for a limited use of Loki's magic." Riley smiled.

"Thank you Thor. I have great faith in you." Point Break began to glow with his broad smile before leaving the room.

Loki chuckled. "I believe that I may actually have been a bit of a bad influence on you My Queen."

"Oh please, a little ego boost won't hurt anyone." Riley cracked her knuckles. "Now we have some plans that have yet to be made."

We agreed and Fury pulled up a hologram computer keyboard. "So we need to start taking down notes of his powers that he still has and everything we can think of that may be his weakness." We turned back to Loki again.

"Him was able to tamper with my mind, like the weapon I used against you. It is dangerous to have, Him will be able to find your worst weaknesses easily and use it against you without hesitation. He is much like that green beast when it comes to strength and stamina."

I scratched the back of my head in thought. "Do you think it is possible to neutralize him with some drugs?" I was thinking out loud but I was surprised when Loki even bothered to answer me.

"Truthfully? I am unsure. If Mr. Banner can be neutralize in his state of beastly then it might be possible." Fury typed that all in , making a personal note to test if drugs can work against the Hulk and then asked for other suggestions. Clint and Natasha asked if there was a specific weapon or magic that can do the job too. Loki thought about it and basically told us that if there was a weapon then it has been locked away long ago. If there was any kind of magic he would've known about it already. We were pretty screwed until someone had a brilliant idea soon.

Caps stopped us and decided that we needed to take a break for some food. I was jumping for joy and demanded to get pizza. "Hell! I will get my suit now and fly off. Riley? Care to join me?" Riley made the point that I couldn't carry all of the pizzas, plus soda and beer, with her. I hate it when women make good excuses like that but I agreed with her and left to get my suit. Leaving her with Loki for this last time.

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><p>I walked in the lab and found Bruce nose deep in his studies. "Hey Bruce, I'm getting pizza. You want anything in particular?"<p>

Bruce took a second before he realized that I was in the room. "Huh? Oh! Umm...could you bring some Buffalo wings too?" This was one of the reasons I like Bruce. I told him it was no problem and got my suit prepared, the metal bending and shaping around my body before the mask flipped over and covered my face. "Have a safe flight Tony."

"Thanks Brucey." And I was gone, flying out the door and to the early night. "JARVIS, make a list: Pizza, beer, soda, and Buffalo wings."

"_Done Sir. Anything else?_" I thought about it and cringed. "Yeah, could you show me the video footage of Riley and everyone else at this moment?" A small screen showed Clint and Natasha standing in front of Riley and Loki while Caps and Fury talked on the other side of the room. "JARVIS, turn up the volume please." It was slightly louder and I was able to hear their conversation. Apparently Natasha was questioning Riley.

"-So tell me why you kept silent until he showed up?" Loki turned his head at Riley.

"When Loki left me and decided to make a sacrifice for him as he always did for me." She kept her head down. "You we said our goodbyes I made a pact that I would remain silent until the next time I saw you. I wanted my first words to be something like 'Welcome back your Highness' or 'My King, you have returned'. I was young then so I was little strange."

Loki looked like he was holding her hand. "My Queen, that was ten years ago...and you kept your word that whole time?"

Riley faced him and shrugged. "I did, until I met Tony. By then I had given up and figured you became a king and forgotten all about me."

"Never. You know this." Clint and Natasha whispered something to themselves but I couldn't hear it. "My Queen, I have a question for you. What is so special about Mr. Stark to make you to break a ten year promise to yourself?" My lips curved into a large smile. Loki was obviously jealous of me for being able to get her to talk to me.

"Well...he was patient, kind, careful. Tony was helping me when I was alone for so long, it's not like I spoke full sentences. Only a few words." She stopped and got up with her arms crossed. "And why does it matter to you anyway? You didn't even know about that until now."

Loki raised his hands in defeat like he did in Germany. "_Sir, you have arrived._" The image disappeared and I sighed, just as I was getting to the good part. "Thank you JARVIS." I opened my helmet and found myself already at the counter with a teenage looking at me with admiration. I smirked at the boy and took my order.

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><p><strong>I know I originally wanted to make this a Tony x Riley story but now I am having a hard time deciding if I should make Riley fall for Loki instead. I would like your opinion on it to make my final decision. <strong>

**I hope everyone enjoyed Valentines Day (Yuck). I don't care for that holiday but I hope that you had fun at least. See you guys again soon~**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello! I had to rewrite this chapter twice because I didn't like it so sorry for the late update. I want to thank BrokenInfinity for their suggestion which has been taken into consideration. *High Five back* You are awesome! Back to the story...from the next chapter and on will get intense. I will warn you if I believe that it may be a little too much, but don't say that I didn't pre-warn you now. Expect it in the next chapter.**

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><p>Loki had been through so much in such a small amount of time, at least according to this realm. Years, Loki has been through suffering because of Him. I want to comfort Loki but I know he will push me away, that's how he has always been. He is strong and there is no doubt about it, but he is hiding something I know it too. First off, he has escaped and somehow ended up here, that is my first warning. Second, Loki is never ever humiliated by anything that happens to him. Not counting the times he was a child and Thor picked on him. But either has changed him or he so doing something behind our backs. I don't want to think that Loki is doing such things but I had known him for too long not to notice all of the hints he is giving that he is hiding something. No matter how small or large it is I still don't appreciate him doing so.<p>

The red-head woman named Natasha and the man named Clint were trying to figure Loki and I out for themselves. I had nothing to hide so I just enjoyed toying with them, Loki was holding back and spoke carefully. My head started to hurt and I began to rub my temples, aggravated that I was being hounded down like this. Although, I guess I should be more grateful that they are not tying me down and experimenting on me. Yet.

I had decided that I should play nice and answer their questions, no matter how much it irritated me. I was growing tired for talking so much. You would be surprised how much work it is to talk this often after almost ten years of absolute silence. I licked my lips and looked down at my hand when Loki took it. "My Queen, that was ten years ago...and you kept your word that whole time?"

Yeah...that sounds stupid thinking back on it now. Back then it seemed like a vow almost, something to prove how much I cared for Loki. I don't regret it, and never will, but would I do it again? Probably not. "I did, until I met Tony. By then I had given up and figured you became a king and forgotten all about me." I remember the look Tony gave me in the bathroom. His curious eyes that twinkled while trying to get me to talk. It was cute and it made me feel warmth for the first time in years. I had decided to tell him my name, gaining a wide smile that glowed brighter than his Arc Reactor.

"My Queen, I have a question for you. What is so special about Mr. Stark to make you to break a ten year promise to yourself?" His hand that wrapped around mine tightened when he asked this.

I frowned. "Well...he was patient, kind, careful. Tony was helping me when I was alone for so long, it's not like I spoke full sentences. Only a few words." I got frustrated with him and stood up, pulling away from his soft touch to cross my arms. "And why does it matter to you anyway? You didn't even know about that until now." Silence filled the room as Loki raised his hands in the air. He obviously didn't want to fight but I wasn't going to let him off easily.

A hand rested on my arm so I turned to see Bruce looking at me with concern. "Calm down Riley." I nodded and gave him a small smile. He returned it and turned to look at Natasha and Clint. "You two have asked enough questions for now. Tony is going to be returning soon and he will not be happy to hear that you have been upsetting his woman." I felt heat rise to my cheeks as I stared shocked at Bruce. He chuckled at my response before forcibly pushing them away.

Something about Bruce made me relax and feel a bit normal. "Don't tell me you're smitten with that Beast too." Loki stood up with his hands clasped behind his back.

I sighed at his ridiculous notion. "No." I looked him dead in the eye. "I feel comfortable with him. He seems to be more of a older brother, just looking out for me. Which is more than I can say about most people that I have known." Loki nodded his head and we stood there in silence. I was not going to break and be the first to speak so I kept my arms crossed and began to look around the room. I could feel Loki's gaze on me as I began to move around the room. This place could be a simple closet to Tony with the little gadgets to keep him entertained for a while.

"Riley?" I stopped and turned to Steve walking over to me. His expression told me he was unsure what to say, as if battling something inside himself.

I let my arms go and tried to give him a assuring smile. "Yes Captain?"

He chuckled and handed me a bottle of water that was cold. I gave him a grateful smile and took it from him and sipped it. "You don't need to call me that. Steve is just fine to me."

I wiped away the trickle of water from my lips before replying. "Okay then, Steve. What can I do for you?"

Steve glanced behind me to look at Loki before facing me again. "Are you aware what he did? How many people he killed and-" I raised my hand and sighed.

"I don't mean to be rude Steve but I will say this only once. I do not care." His blue eyes grew wide for a moment. "Loki and I were together long before the attack. What he did was wrong but I cannot hate him for it. I care for him too much." I paused so my eyes could look at his reaction. Loki was highly interested in what I had to say. "And besides, if he didn't fight half-assed that day he would've succeeded. I wouldn't mind it too much, after I slap him a few times."

Steve and I watched as Loki went from smirking to cringing. He knew that I would not hesitate to hit him hard if he would do such a thing again. Steve and I looked back at each other before he gave me a quick nod and walked away. Loki took a step forward and offered his arm for me. I gazed into his eyes for a long while before giving in and accepting it. Loki's lips moved as he was about to say something until Tony walked in.

"The party has arrived!"

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><p>I took a slice of pizza and cursed when my fingers got burned from the hot cheese. To my right sat Tony and Bruce on the other side of him. Across the table was Clint, Natasha, and Steve. They all had started eating and occasionally watched Loki and I. The slice fell back on my plate and Tony instantly took my hand while I felt Loki grow tension next to me. Tony smirked and lightly kissed my finger tips. "Be careful, they are freshly made."<p>

Loki scoffed and dapped at his face with a napkin. "She can just heal herself." I groaned and all eyes were on me. Loki narrowed his eyes and watched me for a second before sighing. "My Queen, why has your magic weakened so much?"

This was what I wanted to avoid for as long as I could. "Umm,...you see I have been healing myself a lot lately and changing my clothes all together has weakened me quite a bit." Loki shook his head.

"As I have said before, you have developed my silvertongue. Answer me." Tony's hand wrapped around my shoulders and I swore I heard Loki let a small, throaty growl.

"I'm sorry..." I reached over and took a sip from my water that Steve had given me earlier. "I was testing the waters of the advanced spells when I was not ready." Loki swiveled around and placed his hand to my forehead. Tony got real protective and pulled me against him.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Loki groaned and took a deep breath of air.

"Mr. Stark, I need to check and make sure that she hasn't pulled anything or sprained the nerves within her precious mind." Loki reached out more slowly this time and began moving in small circles. This was a treatment that he had taught me to help myself in case he wasn't there to help. What I would do is feel the nerves under the skin that connected to a particular part of my brain, seeing if they were damaged or not. If they were damaged then they would become very sensitive and anything could happen if triggered right.

Bruce suddenly became very interested and leaned on the table closer just as Loki brushed over a nerve just under my hair line. A bolt of purple flashed for a split second, making some of my hair to stand on end. My eyes widen, matching Loki's expression. Silence was broken when Clint and Natasha busted a gut laughing. Steve as concerned while Tony started raining down questions, seeing if I was alright.

Loki took a second and fixed my hair before his hand was swatted from Tony. Loki growled before turning his attention back to me. "Explain yourself, what spell did you dare cast?" The laugher died down to small chuckles. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair, fixing it.

Tony's hand rubbed my lower back and I leaned into it for a moment. "Remember the books you gave me?" Loki nodded while Tony snapped his fingers.

"The ones you showed me right?" I smiled and nodded my head. His enthusiasm is charming at times.

"Yes, one in particular holds knowledge about a particular weapon many millenniums ago. The Infinity Gauntlet." Loki narrowed his eyes. "For you all that don't know, the Infinity Gauntlet is a magic glove that is able to bestow powers that are equal to a god. It is powered by the Infinity Gems, six stones that hold individual powers."

Bruce nervously rose his hand and I gave him a nod. "You're saying that a simple stone can power up a glove? Like a generator?" I smiled at Bruce's observation.

"Yes, each stone holds a different power. The first, a red stone called 'Power' can access all of the power that will ever exist and even copy other powers and abilities of others. The second is a orange stone called 'Time', it controls the past, present, and future. It's basically the essence of Father Time. The third is a yellow stone named 'Reality', it can grant any wish, even if it goes against laws of physics and science." I took a deep breath, not realizing that I had caught everyone's attention instantly. "The fourth stone is green, called 'Soul'. This stone allows anyone to have full control of any living or dead soul. The fifth stone is blue and is called 'Mind'. It strengthens mental and psionic power and access the thoughts and dreams of other beings, it was even discovered that it was the personification of the universal subconscious." I took one more breath of air and lowered my eyes to my slice of pizza. "The last is purple, it's called 'Space'. This stone can exist in any or all places in the realms, being able to move through reality itself."

Tony breathed a 'Wow' next to me. Loki had his hands folded on the table in front of him. "My Queen, thank you for the update on that knowledge but what does that have to do with why your decided to use a spell that ended up weakening you so?" I ran my fingers through my hair again and reached to take a drink of the water that Steve had given me.

Once I had time to weave my words together I finally spoke. "After years of not seeing you I began having nightmares of you on a frozen landscape or falling into a void, each time dying while crying out for help. After a few months I finally broke and began frantically searching for a way to find you, just to make sure you were alive." This was the part I knew I was going to get shit for. "Soooo... I produced a spell to search and collect the stone of Space."

The room fell into a moment of silence again, all eyes were wide and staring at me. My eyes glanced to see Tony, shocked and amused. Loki slammed a fist on the table. "You did what?!" I cringed and everyone jumped. Clint and Natasha were already in stances to attack Loki. Steve and Bruce nervously looked at each other, wondering what they should do. Tony stood up and pulled me back.

"Why are you barking at her for?!" Loki stood up, towering slightly over Tony.

"You have no idea how much danger she had put herself through so silence your loose lips, Stark!" Tony went to talk back so I stepped in and placed my hands against his chest.

Tony waited a second until he looked at me. "He is right, Tony. What I did was extremely dangerous and I wasn't thinking at the time." His brown eyes soften as I spoke carefully to him. Once I was sure he had calmed down I turned to Loki. "I-...I found the stone."

His green eyes studied me, as if he could believe my existence. "You? How?"

My hand reached out to rub the back of my head. "Well...I found it but at the time I was so excited that I actually succeeded that I wasn't careful enough and ended up embedding the stone's power within me. I freaked out and began to worry that if I use the power of the stone I might lose control like I use to." My hand dropped and slipped into my pocket. "I didn't dare try using it until I gained enough feel of it, but lately I realized that when I use my magic it ends up getting drained a bit at a time."

Loki fell back into his seat and Tony and I followed. Bruce began to tap his chin while staring off into space. Steve was calming Clint and Natasha down. Tony rubbed his face and sighed in his hands. I began to feel like more of a problem as I stayed here. A snap of fingers made me turn to Tony, out of habit, but it was Bruce who lit up like a light bulb. "I got it!" He stood up and grabbed his plate. "Follow me, everyone!" I raised a eyebrow and everyone looked at each other before we began getting up and heading off to wherever Bruce wanted us.

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><p>Loki's soft hand wrapped around my smaller hand as Tony kept a arm around my shoulders. I felt very confused and torn if I should just push one away now. I hated that it was coming to this, both men were a huge part of me but it seems it will end up with me picking one and losing the other.<p>

We walking into a lab that was clean and had a few different holograms of notes in the air. It looked impressive to me since I never knew our technology had developed so quickly. The room quickly filled up as Tony, Loki and I were standing in the middle of the room. Clint, Natasha and Steve were closer to the only way out of the room. I felt trapped and I could tell that Loki was feeling the same thing when his hand tightened and his thumb began to rub circles on my skin. Bruce was looking at a few different holograms of his notes before spinning around and clasping his hands together.

"First off, Loki." His head snapped up. "You said that you were under the influence of Him? Correct?" Loki nodded his head slowly and tilted it. "Well, with my prior studies of his scepter I learned that the power that it had actually came from another source, a generator." I raised a eyebrow and waited for him to continue. Tony pulled from me and walked up to the notes.

His hands were twitching slightly as he muttered, "A generator..." Bruce nodded, knowing that Tony was catching on to whatever Bruce was getting at.

Bruce smiled and pointed a finger at Loki. "You were under control of Him, your soul was his to use however Him pleased." Loki shuttered and I wondered if we shared the same image. "You are still not getting it?" I shook my head and gave him a apologetic look but Loki became stiff as a board instantly.

"My scepter was receiving power from His generator...the stone Soul! I cannot believe that I had not realized this sooner!" My heart skipped a beat for a second before it finally clicked in my head. Loki was under the influence of the stone, Soul.

Bruce clasped his hands together. "Right! Him has the stone, Soul. Your scepter had been receiving that power, which also gave you the power to compromise others under you." Relief flooded me, we had proof that Loki was innocent. Bruce suddenly walk toward me and pointed his finger again. "You have another generator within you. Space. If we can, we should be able to create a weapon to transfer that power and use against Him." Bruce walked backward and clapped his hands again. "Which means we have a chance at this war. You can counter attack with that power, Riley."

The tension had evaporated and melted into relief and hope. I turned and hugged Loki instantly, laughing happily. Steve clasped Bruce's shoulder and Clint and Natasha smiled fully. Tony smirked and walked up. "I have a few ideas already but...we are going to have to inform the Cyclops soon." Tony cringed. We nodded before we turned to the sudden new presence.

"No need, Stark." Director Fury had stood by the door. His hands were clasped behind his back as he began walking forward and up to Loki. They stared at each other for a long moment, no one daring to interrupt. Fury's hand lifted and extended to Loki. "With this new information I can be certain that you are no threat and are, in fact, not responsible for your actions. It's my belief that we can come to a mutual agreement and work together to stop this being."

Loki was slightly taken back and glanced at the out stretched hand. His own slowly lifted up to grasp Fury's, giving a firm shake. "I thank you, I agree to assist you as much as I can in my current state." That was when Thor popped in my head.

"We need to tell Thor about this so he can tell Odin. Like now!" Everyone agreed and we left the room. Loki pulled me close and wrapped a protective arm around my waist before Tony could do anything about it.

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><p>We stepped outside, the moon and stars shinning brightly. Loki looked up to the sky, a surge of confidence was showing at his stance. "Heimdall! Hear me! We have proof about my innocence! Inform Odin that 'Him' has possession of the Infinity Stone, Soul!" We stood awkwardly, waiting for some kind of response. Loki kept his gaze at the sky and I turned to look at the others. They were probably expecting some kind of firework show. I knew better, we were going to have to wait a second since the travels of word could take a while.<p>

After a minute went by Tony sighed loudly. I gave him a glare of annoyance while he kicked invisible dirt. "What are we suppose to do now?" Loki remained silent and I chuckled.

"You do realize that we are trying to talk to people in another realm?" Tony gave me a bored expression and shrugged his shoulders. I rolled my eyes at him and turned back to the black sky. "It shouldn't be long." After two seconds past a horde of clouds started coming in, a storm building in a matters of seconds. I heard Loki grumble something about Thor being a show off with his powers.

A flash of red came flying and landed a few feet away from Loki. Thor stood up with his hammer tightly in his grasp and a bright smile plastered on his face. Loki hunched over and waited for Thor to run over and tackle his brother. We were not disappointed. "BROTHER! I knew that you would not commit such horrendous crimes against these Migarians!" I tried to hold back a laugh at the scene. Loki was suspended about three feet in the air, his legs slightly kicking the air and his thin body getting crushed within Thor's embrace.

Everyone wasn't as nice and laughed at poor Loki, especially Tony and Clint. Loki threw his head back and let out a half-hearted growl. "Let me down, Brother!" Thor froze and pulled Loki back but not letting him down on the ground fully yet. Loki was confused and stared at Thor. "What is the matter?"

Thor looked as if he could break down into tears. "You called me brother." He gently placed Loki on the ground. "I miss it." Loki realized his mistake and shook his head. "Heimdall informed Father and I of the news. We were surprised and he sent me to gain this proof that you spoke of."

Loki rubbed his arms and nodded his head. "Yes, Dr. Banner has the information since he was the one who figured it out." We turned to Bruce who nodded and motioned for Thor to follow. He smiled and eagerly went after Bruce back inside.

I crossed my arms and looked at Loki, a smile firmly placed on my lips. Loki glanced at me and was confused with my stance. I giggled and poked his side. "You care about him, you like your brother." My eyebrows wiggled and Loki was instantly appalled.

"What are you going on about?! I have no feelings for Thor!" I laughed loudly and groaned when my side began to hurt and cramp.

"I mean that you love Thor like a brother should. Don't deny it, Loki." Loki scoffed and threw his hands in the air dramatically.

"I let one thing slip up and now you are, how do you put it? 'On my case'." We began walking forward, heading back inside. I wanted to finish my pizza before we went back to sleep. Tony snickered at Loki, distracting him as he swiftly picked me off my feet and skipped off with me in his arms. "Stark!"

I yelped in surprise and playfully smack Tony's arm. He turned back to the others as we reached the door. "Ya' snooze, ya' loose Reindeer Games!" And then Tony slipped inside, leaving Loki pissed off. I sighed and rubbed my temples at his behavior.

"I at least want to eat my damn slice of pizza." Tony stopped, thought about it, and finally shrugged his shoulders before turning back to the room that had the pizza and drinks earlier.

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><p><strong>I already have a badass idea for Riley's weapon but I am curious as to where your imagination takes you. If Riley would posses a weapon to absorb the stone's powers, what would it be? I already know what it is but it won't be coming until later. Give me your ideas for fun and if I like it better than my current idea then I will change it and give you props for it when the times comes to introduce the weapon. See ya' next time!<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys! Yes I did think of the chapter on my own. I'm glad everyone liked it so much, it makes straining my brain worth it. Haha, just kidding!**

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><p>My feet walked down the strangely empty hallways, heading to meet up with Bruce. I took Riley to bed with me last night, and no I don't mean I had sex with her, we just cuddled. Which was fine for me. It felt nice, being able to hold someone and being held. I remember when Pepper use to comfort me like that, especially when I would go a little nuts in the middle of the night. Those were some pretty awkward nights.<p>

I stopped in front of the door and took a deep breath before walking inside the lab. The door opened and Bruce slightly jumped. "Huh? Oh, hey Tony. What are you doing up? It's before noon."

I chuckled at Bruce's joke and moved aside so he could walk. We walked together down the hallway that I recognized to be the kitchen. Bruce went ahead and made himself some tea while I made coffee. My thoughts going back to late night. Loki and Riley were getting too close for comfort, my comfort. I know he would do anything to get Riley for himself, I would too, but doesn't mean I would just let her go easily. I felt a hand pat my shoulder. I turned to see Bruce pointing at my coffee that was overflowing my mug. "Shit! Fuck! Hot!"

Bruce laughed and handed me a rag. "Tony, is everything okay? Your acting...well almost normal by human standards." I rolled my eyes as he crossed his arms. "I might as well start expecting things from you like being on time and being nice to people." I turned to Bruce and smirked before flicking excess coffee at him.

"Well, we wouldn't want that now would we?" Bruce sighed and wiped his face. I took a sip of my coffee and frowned. "You're right, I'm a little off. I have been thinking about what happened yesterday."

Bruce reached over to pick up his weird herbal drink and took a sip too. "Yeah, I don't blame you. I have been thinking about it a lot too." He ran his fingers to fix his curly hair. "Right now we can't stress about that it is happening. We need to focuse on saving our planet, starting with getting Riley's weapon design ready to build."

I nodded and we went back towards the lab, our feet walking on metal being the only sound that could be heard. We reached the room and walked in, papers scattered across Bruce's desk and small little gizmos on mine. Bruce set his tea down and shuffled his papers together and I picked up a piece of metal that was one a part of Loki's staff-spear thingy. The golden color shined brilliantly in the light. Small markings were made on the bottom. I noticed that there wasn't barely any kind of scratches or dents, like Cap's shield. "I wonder why that is..."

"You wonder what is?" My head snapped up to Bruce.

"Sorry, I didn't realize I was speaking out loud." I walked up to him, holding the piece of metal with me. "I know I have mentioned this when we first studied this before but now...does it seem like it is, like, healing itself...or something?" Bruce picked it up and adjusted his glasses.

Bruce flipped it around and handed it back to me. "I know that it had been damaged, but you're right. It does look like it is fixing itself." I flipped it in my hand as I made my way back to my desk.

"How strange..." My voice was trailing off until I heard the door open. Caps walked in wearing a white shirt with sweat pants. It was obvious he was working out for a while. "Hey Spangles! Whatcha doin' here?"

He froze and pointed a finger at me and turned to Bruce. "He is up? Before noon?" Bruce smiled and nodded. Caps was surprised and walked over to me. "Well...I guess it's a day for firsts." I gave him a questionable look and he sighed. "I went to your run to wake Riley up, getting her started on her training with everyone. When I opened the door..." I clenched my fist and narrowed my eyes. Caps jumped back and held up his hands. "No! No, it was nothing like that. She said it was okay for me to come in...I just wasn't expecting a strange purple glow covering her before a set of clothes just appeared out of nowhere."

I blinked and laughed. "That must've been interesting to see." He sighed and rubbed his head. "So, you and Riley were training this morning?" Caps shook his head.

"No, her and Loki said they need to find the source of the stone within her before she could train physically." I looked at him and he shrugged his shoulders. "Natasha and Clint are watching them, don't give me that look."

I rubbed my face and sat down in my seat. Caps spoke with Bruce for a while. I didn't listen because I honestly didn't care for what they have to say. I tried to put my attention on a way to create a weapon like Loki's, something that we can manipulate the power cursing through her and attack. My thoughts kept going back to creating her a suit but I knew that it may be too much for her on such short notice. We needed to create something light, flexible, and deadly.

I picked up a excess magnet in my hand and began to spin it around my finger, trying to give my mind a idea. "Tony?" My eyes looked up to Bruce, not paying attention to the old magnet, and accidently launched at Caps. It smacked him in his temple and he slightly flinched.

"Shit, sorry Caps..." I walked over to him and picked it up, staring at it before looking meeting their faces. "...That's it!" They jumped and I rushed over back to my desk, grabbing a pen and instantly jotted down my ideas.

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><p>I strolled down to the kitchen again. It was about noon and once I had come up with several ideas I wouldn't stop until I was sure I had everything down. I hadn't eaten anything yet so I was growing very hungry and needed to at least get some donuts in me. When I walked in it was a lot more crowed with agents sitting at the tables eating salads and sandwiches. I walked past them and went up to the small trays of cakes and donuts. I picked up a napkin and grabbed two donuts, chocolate with vanilla cream. Freakin' delicious.<p>

I took one bite and turned to leave when I caught the sight of Riley sitting with Tasha, Clint, and Reindeer Games. Without a second thought I strolled over to them and sat down next to Riley. "Hey there beautiful." She raised a eyebrow and picked up her own napkin, wiping away whatever was on my face.

"Hello, Tony. What are you doing?" I swallowed and made myself comfortable, placing a arm around her shoulders.

"Nothing, I think I have come up with a perfect idea for your weapon." She beamed, making me get slightly warm. "Yeah, I was up around nine this morning working-"

Tasha lifted her hand and narrowed her eyes on me. "You mean you have been up, not just got up?" I was not amused.

"Yes, I have been up for three hours now." Clint and Tasha shared looks before turning to Riley.

Clint chuckled and crossed his arms. "I'm surprised that you could be such a influence on him." She giggled and even though I was highly annoyed her sweet giggle made it alright.

"I honestly am not doing anything." Riley shrugged and took a sip of her Pepsi. "I don't think I have that kind of affect on him."

I took another bite of my donut. "Hey, *Munch* I'm still here." They weren't impressed. Riley rolled her eyes and turned to Loki.

"So, you said that I need to figure out how to call upon it, right?" He nodded and leaned forward.

"Yes, My Queen. I was able to call upon it because of my emotions. It triggers a response, but remember this is not like your natural born magic. This was implanted in you." He reached over and took a drink of his water. "I suggest we see what can trigger your emotions the easiest."

I was not catching on. "Um...Review? Prequel? Anybody?" Tasha and Clint chuckled.

Riley sighed and answered. "Today Loki and I were able to find where Space was hiding inside of me. It's in the area where my Brain Steam meets my spine. Which makes sense as to why I get exhausted while using magic now." I looked at the back of her neck and began to rub the area she was talking about.

She flinched and I stopped. "Does it hurt?" She waited a second before shaking her head slowly.

"No, it's not that. Remember, last night when Loki was rubbing my head to feel my nerves?" I nodded. "If a bundle of nerves gets touched in a way they don't like then my magic can react unconsciously." I went to pull away but forced myself to stay. She looked at me funny so I gave her a friendly smile and gently rubbed her back, between her shoulder blades. She sighed and leaned into my touch, making Loki glare at me and I smirked at him in return.

Clint flipped open his phone and shared a look with Tasha. "It's about time. You ready?" She nodded and got up.

"We have our own training we need to get to." Tasha reached over and took Riley's hand and gave it a firm shake. "We will meet up later to finish up." Riley smiled and waved as they left. I was at a loss for what happened.

"Riley? Since when did you too become friends? Did she beat you up and you both decide to call it even?" Riley rolled her eyes and reached over to smack the side of my head.

"Be nice." Loki snickered. "We have a mutual understanding. That's the magic about friendship between women. We can come together when we find something in common that we both hate." That was never a good thing but I figured I should let it go for now. I got up and quickly finished the last of my donut. I wiped my face with my napkin and offered my hand to her.

"Let's go, I want to show you what I've come up with." Riley smiled sadly at me and my own smile fell.

"Sorry Tony, I have more practice with Loki." They both got up. "I will come by the lab when I get a chance. Give my regards to Bruce." She reached up and kissed my cheek before leaving with Loki. I was not happy about this and turned to follow them, wondering what they were doing exactly.

* * *

><p>I walked up to a doorway that led to the outside The sun shined down on Riley and Reindeer Games. They walked about ten to fifteen feet away and sat down on the ground with their legs crossed. Riley lowered her head and Loki lifted both of his hands to wrap around the back of her head. He was saying something but I couldn't hear what he was saying from here. I waited a minute and thought about just going back to the lab until I saw Loki move his hands quickly and shot out so they were around her neck. Riley's head leaned back and her arms went limp with her mouth hanging out wide in a silent scream. I jumped up and ran towards them. "Hey! What are you doing to her?!"<p>

Loki stared at me, keeping his hands around her neck. "Stark...you need to stay where you are. You will-" I pulled back and punched Loki square in his face. His head flipped back and he tumbled a bit.

I grabbed Riley and felt for a pulse. It was slow, very slow. "Riley?!" I went and placed my arms under her. Her face was froze in shock.

"Stark! You can't do that!" I turned around, still crouching next to her.

"The hell I will! I saw what you were doing!" Loki ran up to me, his arms stretched out for her. I pulled her away and aimed to punch him again. "You will not touch her you bastard!" I threw another punch at him but he caught it and threw a punch to my face.

For a guy who is scrawny, he does have quite a bit of strength in him. "Stark! Listen to me before you regret it!" I hunched over and lifted my right leg to kick him in the gut. Something felt like it popped under my shoe but I didn't pay any attention to it at the time.

"Listen to what?! Why is she limp?! Why is her pulse slowing down?!" Loki coughed some blood in his hand. When he looked at it he raised his head to me, murder in his green eyes. "Fuck..." He pounced me and punched me twice in the face before I kicked him off and threw my foot down on his shin before he could get up. He let out a loud grunt and rolled over to his hands and knees, kicking me in the face with his heel.

I fell back down again and groaned. It hurt like a bitch and I was sure that he broke my nose. I pushed myself up and swung around as Loki reached out to grabbed me. He got a hold of my arm and pulled me closer to him and kneed me in my stomach. I gasped as the wind was knocked out of me. That hurt like a bitch but I wasn't going to back out of it know. I blindly reached up to claw at his face so he would let me go. Warm goo was under my finger nails when he finally let me go.

I took a large gulp of air in time for Loki to grabbed me again and flipped me over his shoulder. I landed hard on the metal ground and wasn't able to hold back the scream of pain that I felt. With the hand that held me, I pulled down so Loki's face could land on my fist. His head bounced as he went into a short daze. I took the chance and threw him to the ground and rolled on top of him, grabbing a fist full of his hair.

"Tony! Stop! Now!" I heard Caps' deep voice yell at me. I turned to look at him along with Bruce and Fury running towards us. "Let him go!" I growled and slammed his head down on the ground.

**"ENOUGH!" **We stopped moving and turned to look behind us. Riley hovered above us, her eyes glowing a bright purple color that released a violet haze. Her voice seemed to echo, sending shivers through us all. **"You will stop this child's play!"** She waved her hand and Loki and I separated. The next thing I new I was in the hospital wing, resting on a bed.

"Huh?" I blinked a few times just as a few doctors came running in. I wanted to ask so many questions, I was too tired and let my eyes close heavily.

* * *

><p>I heard faint whispers around me as I began to wake up. My eyes opened to small slits as I was met with Caps, Bruce, Clint, and Fury. I groaned and tried to move to my side, crying out in pain. "Damn...it..."<p>

Bruce moved to my side and offered a pill and a glass of water. I opened my mouth, not being able to feel my arms. Caps sighed and shook his head. "I asked you once what you were capable without your suit." He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. "Now I know."

I scoffed and licked my bruised lips. "He deserved...it." My voice was horse and croaked slightly. "He was...s-strangling her...her pulse was...s-slowing down." Fury turned and walked out the door just as Thor can in. Now I was fucked.

"Man of Iron." His voice was loud or over powering. Instead it was low and deadly, something that actually scared the piss out of me. "Why have you tried to take my brother's life? Are we not friends now?"

I swallowed and cringed at the taste of blood. Bruce patted his shoulder and Clint spoke up. "Tony thought your brother was trying to kill Riley."

I adjusted myself, moving up and almost sat up on my own. "I know...what I saw." Thor was confused and crossed his arms.

"There is a misunderstanding, Man of Iron." I raised my eyebrow at him.

"What do...you mean?" Steve pulled out a chair and sat down. "Where's...Riley...and Tasha?"

Clint gave me a smug smile. "They are both with Loki, healing his wounds." My eyes widen and I felt betrayed.

"What-" I began hacking over the white blanket, red spot staining the fabric. "Riley...is with him?!"

Steve held onto my arm. "Tony, you attacked him. You didn't even give him a chance to explain himself." I pulled out of his hold and flinched as my sore muscles yelled in protest.

Fury walked back into the room with Riley behind him. The room was dead silent, our eyes locked on each other. I blinked once and sucked in a breath of air. "Riley...your eyes." She stepped forward, Thor and Clint moving out of her way. "Are they...purple?" Riley was emotionless as she stared at me.

"Everyone, please leave. I need to concentrate." Fury left first with Bruce, Steve and Clint behind him. Thor waited a second before leaving as well. She looked towards the door and walked over, locking it and moving back to my side. "You, are a bastard." I was taken back.

"Riley, I saw...him choking...you!" She shook her head and placed her finger tips over my neck were my vocal cords were.

"Loki sustained two dislocated ribs, a fractured nose, four deep cuts in his face, and a light concussion." I smiled at the list she gave me. I know that Loki was basically human now but it does feel good to know I managed that all on my own. "Stop laughing Tony!" I jumped at her voice randomly and looked up to her. She refused to meet my eyes and looked over my body. "You have a broken nose, a fractured eye socket, one broken rib, two dislocated ribs, a bruised back, and four broken finger nails." She met my eyes and frowned. "Taking in the different battle wounds the both of you have, I say Loki won."

She turned her back to me and walked over to a metal tray. "Riley..." I was at a lost of words. She was very upset with me, to put it nicely. Riley faced me again with a curved pair of scissors and began to cut away my shirt. I wanted to tell her that I was sorry, that I was stupid and I was just scared of losing her.

"Why didn't you give him a chance to explain himself?" Her voice sounded softer this time around.

"I-" I swallowed my dry throat and avoided her judging eyes. "I saw Loki...choking you... You went limp and I got scared." She shook her head and placed her hands over my chest. I clenched my teeth as a wave of pain washed over me.

"That is no excuse for your behavior." Great! It sounded like I was getting scolded by my mother. "Tony, I have known Loki my whole life. He saved my life and helped me through my problems. Why would he hurt me now?" Damn women and their rational argument.

I sucked in a sharp breath of air when I felt two ribs pop back into place. "Damn!..." She moved her right hand further up. "I...I don't know what to say." My voice started coming back to me. "I got scared that I was going to lose you." She shook her head and turned to grabbed my hand, checking my black nails. Her faces scrunched up and I didn't blame her since I held the same expression. "Ew."

She brushed her thumbs over the nails and they slowly began to fall off and land on the bed. I wanted to gag at the sight and of the weak smell of dying flesh. Riley kept her cool and brushed over the skin again and a set of new finger nails began to grow quickly. "You're lucky that I am doing this for you."

"How are able to do this anyway?" She brushed off the fingernails to the floor and sat down, bringing her hands to my face. "You're eyes are purple and your healing has grown so much more stronger now." I thought about it and realized that her eyes were the same color glow she had earlier. "And what was with that thing you did before I got here? You were flying and your eyes had amazing glow to it! Not to mention your voice was freaky." She gently placed a hand over my lips and I took the hint, staying quiet.

She carefully caressed her finger tips over my right eye a couple of times. The small pain that was there had settled down to a mild annoyance. She moved her fingers from my eye to my nose. I flinched and she sighed. "Try to stay still, I know it hurts." I did what she said and let her touch my swollen nose, even though the pain made me almost want to cry. Almost. "Tony...Loki and I were trying to figure out a way to connect to Space's powers." I watched her as she watched me. "We needed to search my brain for the right emotion that would best connect with Space, tapping to its powers as best as I can on short notice."

I raised a eyebrow. "By choking you?" She shook her head, not entertained at all.

"He wasn't choking me, he was...trying to bring me to the state of being aroused." A faint blush came over her.

"What?..." I was at a lost and she sigh dramatically while rolling her eyes.

"I need to have my heart race at a fast pace so I can tap in Space's powers. Earlier today we had tried fear and anger but it wasn't working. So we were going to attempt being aroused." Her hands left my face and rested in her lap. "Loki was sending signals of pleasure through me to try and trigger a response. When you came and pulled him away my heart...um, it kinda freaked out and forced itself to slow down as fast as it could. Thus making my pulse slower than what it should've been."

Damn...I felt like a asshole. I nearly got her killed because I thought she was getting killed. "Riley, I'm so sorry. I got scared, I didn't want to lose you, especially to him." She smiled softly at me and leaned forward, pressing a light kiss to my forehead. "But...it seems that you succeeded in tapping with Space. How did you do it?"

She blushed again and rubbed the back of her head. "Heh! Well...Loki and I were right about our hypothesis. It was arousal." I blinked and stared at her. "I was...um...quite turned on by your guy's fight." Her face was beat red by now, bringing the purple out even more.

"Well...I will have to remember that next time." She snapped her head towards me and smack the side of my head. "Ow! What was that for?!"

"There will NOT be a next time! If you and Loki get into another fight like that again I will not bother healing you. I will leave you here to suffer!" She jumped off the bed and placed her fists on her hips. I chuckled at her and tried to sit up but cringed and laid back down. "I haven't healed your back yet, and I won't until tomorrow. That's your punishment."

She straightened herself out and stepped closer. "What are you going to do now?" She ran her fingers through her hair.

"I'm going to go and check on Loki. Bruce and Thor have volunteered to watch over you while I'm gone."

I frowned at the mention of Thor. "Riley, Thor is going to kill me." I let my bottom lip quiver while I gave her my best puppy dog eyes. She leaned forward and kissed my bottom lip. I went to kiss her fully but she pulled away too quickly and now I was really pouting. "No fair!"

She smirked and turned towards the door. "Thor won't kill you, Bruce won't allow it." She unlocked the door and opened it, turning back to me. "Rest. Tomorrow I will finish healing you." She was out the door before I could say anything else. So I sat back and waited for Bruce and Thor to come back.


	12. Chapter 12

**Muahahaha! I have returned once again! I'm glad you all liked the fight scene, I did too ^_^ . There will be more to come along with sparring and heated parts. I already warned you so I'm not going to do it again. Have fun!**

* * *

><p>My eyes felt swollen, yes swollen. Like they were going to explode inside my own skull or something. It was a different kind of feeling, one that I do not want to go through again. My eyes had watched Tony and Loki fight, blood leaking from the exposed flesh. Bones breaking and snapping when coming into contact with a excessive force. It was very... alluring to watch them like that. My heart had pumped frantically in my chest which caused Space to finally connect with me. The electrical force surged through my veins, bringing this power to life during this time. It wasn't long until I began to lose control over my movement, feeling weightless and full at the same time. Soon I was above them all, looking down at the scene. Tony sat on top of Loki with his hands entangled with his hair. Anger boiled in me and I somehow was able to break them apart.<p>

I fell to the ground and panted hard. "Riley!" I blinked my eyes a few times and cringed, it hurt. Steve was at my side helping me up and took me to their hospital area. I saw the damage they put each other through and sighed. It was ridiculous and immature. I was closer to Loki so I began healing him first, and because Tony was the one who started to fight so we will have to suffer until I am done here.

* * *

><p>I walked down the hallway, heading towards Loki. I felt a little better after talking with Tony, understanding why he acted the way he did. It will not excuse him but I understand where he was coming from now. I reached Loki's bed and pulled back the curtains. He rested on the hospital bed, his eyes closed and his breathing is even. I quietly walked over to his side and placed a soft kiss to his temple. When I pulled away I felt a large hand resting on the back of my neck. I looked to see that it was Loki, smiling up at me.<p>

"My Queen, I was hoping for much more than that." I rolled my eyes and planted my butt on the bed next to him. My head leaned down until our lips met. Our kiss was soft but lustful. The hand that was on my neck moved up to cup my cheek. His other hand reached up and wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer to him. His tongue swiftly traced my bottom lip, asking for permission to be let in. I rested my hands in his hair, tangling my fingers in his smooth locks. My lips parted slightly so I could slip out my own tongue and dance with his.

"Holy shit!" I jumped and instantly pulled away from Loki, a deep frown settled on his face. My head snapped over to see Natasha and Clint in the doorway.

I chuckled nervously and scratched the back of my head. "Hey guys...why didn't you knock?"

Natasha gave me a smug look. "Because I didn't wanna." I rolled my eyes and got off the bed, Loki matching my movements. "Come on, we need to get that power of yours under control as fast as we can." I followed them out, Loki sticking to my side, and down a few hallways. Clint would glance back at us a few times, giving us a weird look every time. It wasn't long until we were in the same training room we were in earlier this morning. "Alright then!" Natasha looked over to Loki. "I hope you know what to do, right?" He nodded and took my hand to lead me over to the mats.

I settled down on the floor, getting ready to loosen myself up but Loki pulled me back up. "Not this time My Queen." I raised a eyebrow but didn't question him. He stood about three steps back and looked hard at me. "Listen carefully. You do feel the power of Space running through you right?" I gave a sharp nod. "Good, get a feel for it. Familiarize with it and then call upon it. Only if you can grasp it fully."

I widen my stance, feeling Natasha and Clint's eyes on me. I replayed the fight in my head, remembering the blood and the cries I heard from it. My heart began to race and the power was coming back to me again. I made sure to keep my breathing as steady as I could. A spark jolted in the back of my neck until it ignited, releasing the familiar electrical power run up and down my body. I looked at Loki and took a deep breath. "I...I think I got it."

Loki nodded and turned away from me to walk over to the far wall, pulling a staff off a rack and coming back to me. "We will spar for now. I will be able to doge it because I know when it will be coming. Once you have a better hold of it I will allow you to spar with Miss Widow or Barton."

I smiled at him and got into a front stance. My left foot was placed forward and my hands were up. "Just like old times, right?"

"Just like old times." He agreed and twirled the staff between his fingers before swiftly aiming for my right shoulder. I know that he wasn't going as fast as he normally would so I could see it coming. I spun on my left heel, turning away from the staff. My eyes blinked once and then I realized that I was not in front of Loki but behind him now. I was stunned and didn't pay attention when the tip of the staff hit me square in the middle of my forehead. I fell back onto the mats and groaned. "Looks like you will need to re-study Space."

"Ow...what do you mean?" Loki helped me up and rubbed the spot he hit me with his thumb.

"My Queen, Space's power is basically teleportation. Had you forgotten already?" I rubbed my shoulders.

"So, I teleported just now? How?" Loki held the staff to his side and rubbed his chin with his other hand.

"I'm not completely sure, it may just be a natural instinct for you. A defense system that goes off automatically when being threaten." He turned to Natasha and Clint. "Were you able to see what she did?"

Clint crossed his arms. "It was like she...umm, I don't know how to say it. Her body wavered slightly and shifted on its own."

"It looked like she was split into several different Rileys, each one following the other until she was just behind you." Clint looked at her and she shrugged. "That's what I saw."

I looked down at my hands, wondering if I was ever able to control this power in me. I blinked a few times until I heard a "Wizz!" sound coming from the corner of the room. I looked up to see the camera aiming straight for me. I crossed my arms over my chest. "Tony!" The camera flew off towards the door and shut itself down. "That man and his electronics I swear!"

Natasha walked up to me. "It's getting late. Let's go and eat dinner before we go any further with this." I stretched my arms over my head, hearing a slight pop.

"Alright, let's go. I am a little hungry."

* * *

><p>I knocked on a white door and waited for the go ahead. A faint "Come in" was heard so I opened the door to Tony's hospital room. I smiled at Tony sitting with his tablet in his lap. His smile told me he was guilty of something but I didn't push it. "Hey Tony, are you willing to go to dinner with us?"<p>

Tony tried to jump out of the bed but muffled a cry of pain and settled back down. I giggled, earning a glare from him. "Please, Riley." His begging was cute, especially when his bottom lips plucked out again and his eyes got a little bigger. They were glistening, telling me that he had something on his mind.

"Tony, what are you thinking about?" He froze and turned away to put his tablet away. "Your eyes were shining just now, something is on your mind. What is it?" His lips tried to hide the smile that was barely showing.

"I'm always thinking. You should know this by now." I agreed and pulled up the wheelchair that I had brought with me. "No way. I am not riding in that."

I offered my hand for him. "Think of it as being part of your punishment." He crossed his arms like a disobedient child. "Okay, how about this? If you behave yourself I will heal your back after dinner."

He glanced at me before slumping his shoulders in defeat. "Alright." He sounded so wounded. It killed me but it was also so funny too. I got him to wrap a arm around my shoulder as I picked his up by his waist. He hissed silently in pain but took it like a champ. I got him settled in the seat and pulled the pillow from the bed to place it behind his back. He looked up at me gratefully before we went out and down the hallways that led to the outside. I opened the door and when he was able to see everybody by one of the helicopters he lifted his hand, pretending there was a whip. "Hi-ya! Onwards!"

I thought about smacking him but decided against it. He was already in enough pain. And he was just being himself after all.

* * *

><p>We all got settled around the large table. We had gone back to Stark Tower, or the new Avenger's Tower, whatever it is now. I sat next to Loki while he sat next to Natasha, sitting next to Clint. Across from us was Steve, Bruce, Thor and Fury...surprisingly. Tony wheeled up to us, grumbling about something under his breath. "Okay, dinner is on their way.<p>

Bruce smiled shyly. "We are not having pizza again are we?" Tony shook his head.

"Nah! I ordered Shawarma!" Everyone perked up except for Loki and I. We looked at each other so I spoke up.

"Umm, Tony? What's Shawarma?" Tony dramatically covered his mouth with a loud gasp.

"You never had Shawarma?! You poor, poor girl!" Loki growled and I rubbed his hand that rested on my lap.

Bruce chuckled. "Tony, we just recently found Shawarma only after Loki's attack. I don't expect a girl from California to know what it is." Steve smiled and Tony rolled up to me. Thor was watching us intently, giving me the creeps.

"Thor," Loki spoke. "I believe that there may be some...what was it called again?...Oh! The Pop-Tarts." Thor jumped out of his seat.

"You have Pop Tarts my friend?!" Before Tony could answer Thor already charged into the kitchen and I'm guessing towards the pantry. I giggled and Tony sighed.

"Did you really have to do that Rock-of-Ages?" Loki smiled with a hit of mischief before pulling me closer to him.

"Have you already forgotten what I was born to do?" I giggled, watching Tony about to explode. "Relax Stark, even though you are known for the color red, it's unbecoming of you currently."

There was a ding at the door. Steve got up and walked over to the door, disappearing from sight for the moment. Thor walked back and asked something with his mouth full of Pop Tarts. Bruce fixed his glasses and went to help Steve. Loki motioned for Thor to sit down. Tony glaring daggers at him. Steve came back with a few bags, face pale.

Clint rubbed his nose. "Hey, what's up?" Bruce scratched the back of his head and escorted a strawberry blond woman into the room. My eyes blinked twice before she finally clicked in my head.

"Pepper!" She jumped, staring straight at me.

"You're...talking...to me?" I was confused for only a second before I remembered that I had not spoken at all with her.

Tony clapped his hands together, getting everyone's attention. "Okay! Let's eat!"

Everyone got seated together, Pepper sitting between Fury and Tony. The food was passed out, a fresh aroma filled my senses. Loki examined it before taking a small bite. His eyebrows rose to his hairline, eye shined in surprise. I took the action meaning that it was good so I took a bite as well. The taste of beef, turkey, and chicken attacked my taste buds. The soft bread sweetened it out while the fresh tomatoes and lettuce gave it a even balance. I enjoyed it and quickly swallowed so I could take another bite.

Thor had practically swallowed his whole and wiped his mouth. "This Shawarma is good! Another!" I narrowed my eyes on him, giving him a disapproving look. He noticed and shrunk back into his seat. "Please?..." I gave him a bright smile and motioned Bruce to give him another.

Pepper sipped her drink and looked over to me. "I couldn't help but notice that your eyes have changed color."

Everyone glanced at me. I shrugged it off and wiped my face. "Yeah...a lot has happened in the last few days." I reached for my drink and asked her, "I hope you don't take this the wrong way but...why are you here?" Tony hesitated as he grabbed a handful of French Fries.

Pepper chuckled. "I'm not like that. Director Fury told me about what happened with Tony, I'm here to help him." Everyone all turned to Fury instantly, especially Tony.

"You told her?! What right do you have-"

"Stark! That's enough!" Fury bellowed almost as loud as Thor does. "You are hurt because of your child's play today. It was my understanding that you are unable to do things on your own so I contacted her."

Pepper shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I didn't know I was such a bother." I visibly cringed and debated if I should intervene.

Tony sat back in his seat, rubbing his face. "It's not that you're a bother, you have been one of the most helpful person I have ever known. You know that!" He turned towards her, unable to read his expression from here. "You have your own life now...without me. I figured you would be sick of having to cater to my every needs by now." He turned to give me a quick glance. "Riley said she would finish healing me by the end of the night...if I behave."

Tension and mixed emotion was filling the silence. "Tony...you are not that big of a problem to me. I have known you for too long to just let it go completely." She patted his shoulder. "My job is to cater to your every needs, and I don't hate it. I care for you Tony. I always will." Pepper stood up and kissed the top of his head before leaving.

Tony blankly stared in front of him, not acknowledging anything else around him. For the next few minutes we had finished our dinner in silence. Tony picked at what as left before I finally got frustrated enough to pull it away from him. I stood up and began to clean the table, no one daring to get in my way. I shoved all of the trash in the bags and went into the kitchen and walked over to the trash can, dumping everything out. I was irritated that Tony would honestly think of Pepper in that kind of way, angry that he didn't take his chance, and sorry for him while watching him almost break in front of us. He seemed to really love her, but he didn't realized it until now.

I walked back into the room to see pretty much everyone cleared out except for Tony, Loki and Thor. I walked up to Loki about to ask him something when he placed his long finger softly to my lips. "My Queen...it has come to my understanding that," His eyes traveled to where Thor was talking with Tony. "You are needed else where."

"Loki I-"

"Do not fret, My Queen." He kissed the tip of my nose and smiled at me. "I shall see you in the morning." I stood on the tips of my toes, kissing his nose as well before he began to walk away to go to his room. Thor noticed him leaving and looked over at me for a answer. I smiled and waved him off. He nodded and bowed slightly before following Loki.

I took a few steps over to Tony and knelt down to him. "Could you lean forward a little?" His eyes were off in another world but his body complied to my order. I got closer to him, placing his head on my shoulder and wrapping my left arm over his shoulders and my right around his waist. My eyes closed as I began to concentrate on finding the damaged nerves and bones within his spine. Power surging through me much more than what it use to.

"I still love her...I'm a fucking idiot." I chuckled, feeling his turn into my neck. "You're laughing?"

I carefully shook my head. "No Tony, I found what you said to be funny. I wasn't laughing at you in particular." My right hand finished first so I slowly began to rub circles on his lower spine. "There is nothing wrong with loving someone, especially if you have been around them for so long." He groaned. "If it makes you feel better, I know she still loves you too."

He pulled his head back far enough to look me in the eye. "How can you tell? Who would love me?"

I cupped his face. "Well, for one, I am a woman so I know love when it glistens in someone's eyes like hers did." He raised a eyebrow. "Tony, you're smart and idiotic at the same time. Caring and selfish. Reckless and safe." I took a deep breath and rubbed his once shattered bone under his eye. "There are many woman out there who will always be "In like" with you, but there is one who is truly in love. It is your choice to chase her or not."

He blinked and settled back in the wheelchair. "What about you?" My heart dropped to the bottomless pit of my stomach.

"Tony, I love you so much. You saved my life twice. Took me in and protected me. Hell, you even fought Loki in a bare fists match over me." I stood up and flinched as blood rushed back to my legs. "I care so much for you...but I'm not Pepper am I?"

Tony was taken back and looked up at me with wide eyes. "I-I..."

I shook my head and gave him a playful smile. My hands grabbed his wrists, pulling him out of the chair. "Admit it, you love her move than you will ever be able to analyze."

He smiled lightly at my small joke to him. "I think you're right...I love Pepper but I just thought that...I don't know." Tony covered his face in his hands and groaned. "What am I to do?"

"Well, don't strain the amazing brain of yours over this tonight. Sleep on it." He nodded and turned towards the elevator.

"Are you...joining me tonight?" I followed him and kissed his cheek.

"This will probably be the last time, let's enjoy it."

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><p>I blinked my eyes open and stared at the window. The curtains weren't drawn together yet so I got a chance to see the sun starting to rise. Tony's body heat was comfortably wrapped around me, a faint glow of his arc reactor still visible even though he was behind me. I started to get a small cramp in my leg so I decided that I needed to stretched. I slowly slipped out of Tony's arms, like a ninja, and creped out of his room. I just started to walk around and eventually found myself in the kitchen. I thought that I could grab a easy snack before everyone else woke up until I saw a glimpse of someone at the corner of my eye, in the pantry. I was instantly on guard until the realization that JARVIS would never let anybody in the house.<p>

I took three quiet steps towards the door and was about to push it open. "Morning Lady Janssen." I opened my mouth to let out a large gasp of air that I was apparently holding in.

Out came Thor with three boxes of Pop Tarts in his arm, each a different flavor. "Hello Thor, you had me scared for a second there."

A flash of concern spread across his face. "My deepest apologies, I had no intention of causing you such fright."

"I know, I know don't worry about it." I waved him off and followed him over to the toaster. "You want me to cook those up for you."

Thor beamed and handed the boxes over to me. "I am grateful for your guidance. Last time I had tried to use this metal heating box it had sparked and exploded in fire." A wide ass grin stretched across my face, imagining what that must have been like. I set two packets down and turn on the toaster, making the correct adjustments. "Do you think that friend Stark will be alright?"

"Yes, Tony is having a hard time figuring out what he thinks he wants and what he needs." I saw confusion in his eyes so I elaborated. "Tony wants to be with me because he thinks he loves more like he did with Pepper. The truth is that he can never love anyone in this world as much as he loves Pepper. But what he doesn't understand is that Pepper still loves him too." I sighed and crossed my arms. "I don't even know exactly why they broke apart in the first place."

Thor moved away for a second and came back with a glass of milk in his hands for me. I thanked his and sipped it before taking the toasted Pop Tarts. He gave me two of the Pop Tarts and began to try and cook them on his own, doing exactly what I did. We went into a short silence until he broke it. "From my understanding, Lady Pepper was upset about something that Tony did and being selfish."

I closed my eyes, knowing that Thor was probably right. I took a bite of the blueberry flavored Pop Tart and turned to Thor. "I want to change the subject." He looked into my eyes. "Does Odin, your father, know about Loki's innocence of the war yet?"

Thor nodded, a small but cute smile graced his lips. "Yes, Allfather and our mother has been discussing it. We should be expecting their arrival today."

I nodded my head until what he said finally processed through my head. I choked on a piece of Pop Tart for a second in the moment. "Your *cough*...parents are coming?! Today?! And you didn't bother to tell us?!"

His innocent expression melted my heart to I almost had forgotten why I would be upset in the first place. "Well yes, Mother and Father want to speak with him and hear what he has to say. If all goes well then Loki may be granted his powers again to aid us in this upcoming war."

Okay, that was good but after hearing horrible stories about Odin I was having my doubts. "What if Odin doesn't believe Loki?"

He shook his head. "Need not to worry. Our mother loves Loki like us," He motioned him and me. "There will be no way she will let Loki suffer any longer."

My eyes moved back t the toaster. "I hope you're right." His large hand rested on my shoulder and I broke into a large smile again. "Thor...your Pop Tarts are going to burn."

"Huh-BLAST IT TO VALHALLA!"

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><p><strong>I hade a chance to get a lot of writing down this weekend. I hope you like it. I had thought really hard about Tony Stark and I really want the poor bastard to have a happy ending in this story, like he deserves. It had thought about paring him up with Bruce because...well you know...SCIENCE BROS! But I think I will save that for another story. Even though I love the idea of TonyxBruce, I also love PepperxTony (Even though I don't understand what he sees in her) Anyway, the next chapter will introduce Odin and Frigga, as expected. I don't think it will be very long but they will have one more appearance, at least, before the ending of this story. Again, thanks for reading and I will be seeing you guys soon enough!<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**Here's another update...I don't really have much to say, hehe! Tony will be working with Bruce on Riley's weapon in this chapter but you won't be getting any details until it is presented to her later on. I'm not completely sure when that is. Frigga and Odin will be stopping by to visit. Just a reminder, have fun!**

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><p>I smiled while washing my hair in the shower. Riley had woken me up when she was mumbling to herself this morning about something to do with...fridges and old bins? Something like that, I was half awake so give me a break. I had JARVIS play some music and ironically enough, "Pour Some Sugar on Me" was playing. I started singing to the lyrics because I can and you have to sing while you're in the shower, it's like the law of life. I heard a knock on the door and yelled out, "It's open sugar!"<p>

I knew it would be Riley. "Tony, are you okay?" I pulled back the curtain a little so my head poked out.

I smirked. "No, why?" She rolled her eyes and looked over to my phone and chuckled to herself.

"Sorry, I guess you're not as good singing while you're in the shower." She smiled and left. My mouth was hanging wide open, feeling insulted.

I quickly finished my shower so I could head over to the lab and talk with Bruce. I had made plans for the weapon and needed to see what he thought of it. I made a 3-D model of it on my tablet last night, since I couldn't sleep. I had actually made a few different styles. One gave more power, another could hold up against weapons, and the last was smooth and sharp so it would be quicker. I couldn't decide which one I would like better so I was going to ask Bruce's opinion.

I put on a form-fitting shirt that was black with some old jeans before I headed out. I had noticed that Riley wasn't with me but forced myself to not worry about it. She was most likely with Loki, as much as it killed me. I began to remember the talk that her and I had last night after everyone left. She was right. Riley was a replacement for Pepper, filling the hole that Pepper left when she left me. I needed to have someone with me, close to me so I knew I wouldn't be alone in this world. Riley was a perfect fill until I realized what I was doing to myself and her. It wasn't fair to her or me...so we let go. It hurts but I at least know that Riley would always stay with me no matter what. She was a pure soul with a heart of gold.

I smiled to myself and pulled myself from my thoughts. Somehow I already made it to the lab and was standing at the doorway. Bruce and Steve were staring at me, concern showing in his eyes. I was annoyed and frowned. "Well, don't be too happy to see me now."

Steve shook his head. "We were just wondering if you were okay. You were standing there for a minute, just staring off into space."

I stuck my tongue at him and he gave me a look before turning back to Bruce. "Well then!" I skipped over to them and pulled out my phone to program the 3-D models to the computer. "I couldn't sleep last night and created these while my imagination was wide awake." I pressed the button and the three different models showed up, projecting themselves in front of us."

Bruce adjust his glasses while Caps stared with wide eyes. I smiled in triumph. I had surprised them with my genius! Bruce looked at me and pointed to the weapon with the better defense. "What are these...exactly?"

I touched the one with power and expanded it so it would come out larger. "This is the weapon design for Riley that I came up with." Caps stared at the sharper weapon and poked it, making the hologram waver a bit. "Stop that." I patted his hand away.

"Tony, how did you come up with this? The design, the placement...it's..."

I wiggled my eyebrows at Bruce. "Perfect? Brilliant? Spectacular?"

Bruce chuckled. "A little off." I closed my mouth and looked at the images. "I don't blame you since you were working on this in the middle of the night. But your math is a little off, nothing we cannot adjust though." Caps chuckled and I shot him a glare.

"Fine but we have to agree that it is perfect." Bruce rolled his eyes and began typing in his notes. Caps came around and tapped my shoulder.

"Did you get the idea because of the stone?" I looked at it again and crossed my arms.

"No...but that is a good point. I see what you are a seeing." He disappeared from my sight and came back a few seconds later with a donut and a mug of coffee in his hands. "Oh! Praise the Lord!" He wasn't amused but still handed me the food. "Thanks Spangles."

"Have you showed Riley yet?" I shook my head.

"No, I wanted it to be a surprise. But we need to get to work as soon as we can. Our time is running out quickly and if Rudolf is right we have about five days before we get a declaration of war." Caps nodded and sat on a chair and pulled out some pencils and paper. He quickly drew up some sketches of the weapons I designed. I watched him change up the design a little, adding a few things or altering others. While he was drawing up the weapon Bruce came around and poked at the models again.

"As much as I would hate to make your ego get any bigger, I have to say that your idea is actually perfect for Riley." I stood proudly and smiled like the sun. "Now...which one did you want to use?"

I blinked and slumped slightly. "That's the problem, I can't decide. I personally like this one." I made one model bigger. "It's stronger and can do more damage."

Bruce kinda nodded but motioned to the thicker one. "I kinda like this one better. It will protect her better, besides her power isn't strength, it's teleportation."

Caps stood up and pointed to the last one. "If that's the case then we should go with this one. It's smother so she can fight easier and attack faster."

I grumbled and stared at the two. "I came down here so you can help me, this isn't helping." They laughed at me while we all went on a debated for a while about which design would be better. Bruce and Steve were getting better at making points for their argument. I was only able to go with being the coolest one and being the strongest. I was getting annoyed and decided that we needed a break to think it over and get the other's opinion on them, not including Riley.

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><p>All three of us walked into the kitchen. Everyone was already there. Clint and Tasha were sitting together, eating and drinking coffee. Thor was with Riley, helping wash the dishes. And Loki was pacing the room, looking a bit disgruntled. I chose to ignore him and went straight to Riley. "Hey beautiful!" She turned and smiled.<p>

"Morning Tony, Bruce, Steve." She turn to nudge Thor in the ribs. He didn't notice until she punched him instead.

Thor flinched and looked over to us. "Huh? Ah! Morning my friends!" I smiled and waved before sitting down next to Clint. I saw Riley giving Thor a scary look before he turned back to us again. "I um, have news to bring."

Loki scoffed in the distance. "Some news."

"Okay, what has Rock-of-Age's nickers in a twist?" He didn't even look at me or growled, he just continued pacing back and forth. Making me dizzy.

Riley sighed dramatically. "For crying out-Thor and Loki's parents are coming here today!" I froze and glanced at Bruce and Caps, sharing the same expression of complete surprise.

"They are not my parents." Loki finally stopped and crossed his arms. Now I understand what was eating him alive. "I am not looking forward to seeing...Odin."

Thor opened a box of Pop Tarts and I made a mental note to get JARVIS to buy more. "Brother," Loki growled. "Loki...Are you not at least happy to be seeing Mother? I know you care about her."

Loki sighed through his nose and gave a small nod. "It will be nice to see her again..." His voice began to trail off.

Riley walked over to him and held his head between her hands, kissing his forehead. "It will be alright, Loki. Neither Thor or I will let Odin take you away. I promise." He visibly relaxed and rested his head on her shoulder. "Thor, when are we to be expecting them?"

Thor rubbed his chin, crumbs falling onto the counter from his beard. "They will be arriving when Father is able to finish his duties first." We heard a clap of distant thunder from outside. I looked and saw that clouds were starting to turn grey outside.

"Well, Point Break, it's sooner than we all thought."

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><p>We all stood outside as the storm was getting worse. A vortex of clouds and lighting blended together above us. It was kinda scary to see something that powerful above my head. Thor and Loki stood a little farther up, their attention to the swirling vortex of doom. Riley was standing next to me with Bruce, Steve, Clint and Natasha. The wind was growing stronger, whiping us against each other for a moment until one flash of lighting shot in front of us, blinding me. I found myself on my ass and Bruce trying to help me up. "Son of a bitch." My tail bone hurt but I ignored it. The sky was growing clearer and it was suddenly very bright outside, fucking sun.<p>

"Mother, Father, tis good to see you again." Thor spoke up first, walking over to a lovely woman with braided hair like Rapunzel and gave her a gentle hug. Which I didn't think was possibly. She smiled and hugged him back. Thor turned to a big guy with a golden eye patch and gave a quick bow. I glanced over to Riley. She was a bit tense. Her shoulders shook slightly and her jaw was locked, keeping her from saying anything. Thor turned to us and gestured his large arm at us. "I wish to introduce you to my friends. "Captain of America, Man of Iron, Widows of Black, Eye of Hawk, Bruce and Riley." I chuckled and stepped up first.

"We have actual normal name. I'm Tony Stark." I pointed to the rest. "That's Steve, Natasha and Clint." The woman smiled softly at me and carefully pinched my cheek.

"I have heard much of you, along with your friends." She looked over to the big guy and finally at Loki. If Loki was incredibly nervous then he was hiding it exceedingly well. His eyes were hood, hands behind his back, lips in a thin line and his posture a little loose. "Loki. I have missed you so much." She skipped over to him and pulled him into a tight hug. She pulled away, holding his face in her hands.

"Hello mum." I glanced at the big guy who was watching them but turned to me. I had a million joke about his eye patch and something about Fury's intimidation rival, but I kept it to myself. He turned his body towards me and patted my shoulder strongly.

"You are a brave man, Son of Stark." I cringed inwardly at the name. "I am King Odin." I saluted him and he tilted his head to the side, not understanding my gesture.

Steve came to my rescue, yippee, and offered his hand to the all mighty Zeus. He, that would be a good one to mention later. "Welcome to Earth, or Migard, King Odin." I rolled my eyes and took a step back, watching everyone introduce themselves to the king and queen. Riley was quiet and kinda stood back from everyone, going unnoticed by everyone except for me. Her eyes met mine and she gave me a nervous smile. I wondered why she would be acting like this.

Thor's mother came into view and walked up to Riley. "You must be Loki's precious apprentice." Riley gave a short nod and knelt in front of her. "Oh dear, there is no need for that." Loki walked up next to them and placed a protective arm around her shoulders. I turned my head away from them to see Thor standing right behind me.

"Umm Point Break? Why are you so close to me?" He looked down at me and shrugged his shoulders. I rolled my eyes and headed towards the door. "Alright everyone! Let's get inside so we can talk!"

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><p>I felt like I'm being surrounded...probably because I was. Everyone walked inside and instantly began to circle me like I was their prey. Creepy! I cleared my throat and motioned Bruce to come up. "Okay so you two," I pointed to Zeus and Rapunzel. "are here because you want proof of Reindeer Games' innocence. My friend here will show you the proof." Bruce nodded and opened his laptop on the countertop. I stole a glance at Riley to see that she was giving me a grateful smile.<p>

Bruce straightened up and brought up a image of Loki in Germany and one of now. "These are pictures we took of Loki when he first came here a few months ago." Another imaged showed Loki with his scepter. "During this time we understood that the weapon he possessed could compromise people if he touches them in the center of the chest with it." He brought up two images of Clint. "This is Clint, the one to the left was him before he encountered Loki, to the left is him while he was compromised. As you can see, their eyes become a bright blue." He brought up the images of Loki again. "And as you can see...Loki has the same problem here."

I looked at Everyone in the room, making sure a fight wasn't going to break out in the middle of my tower. It has been made clear to me that my tower can never stay in tact. Zeus stepped toward the laptop, looking closer at the image before pulling back and scoffing. "A simple trick. Have you forgotten that Loki is the God of deception? He has fooled you all."

I was taken back and felt frustration instantly controlling me. "Hold on!" He froze and glared at me. "That may be true but you're suppose to be his father, that mean you are suppose to trust and believe in him. Thor does and I can tell that she does too." I pointed to Rapunzel then back at him. "Everyone screws up from time to time but that doesn't mean you just give up on him completely!"

"Anthony!" I looked over to see Loki frowning with his eyes to the ground. "I appreciate that you would defend me, I do, but...there is nothing you can do now." The poor guy looked so exhausted by now. Riley stayed close to him and turned at Zeus.

"Please, I know who Loki is...he would never do something like this. He can get angry and be a little pain in the ass with his illusions more often than not but that's just who he is. Are you really going to hate him so much just because he is being who he is by nature?" She took a deep breath of air and stepped forward. "Loki had saved my life years ago. He has taught me so much. Loki...he means so much to me. Please, believe me when I say that he is innocent."

The room grew quiet for a minute. All of us were staring at the king, except for Loki who still looked at the ground. Rapunzel walked up to Zeus and gave him a soft look. "My love, don't you have anymore sympathy for our son?" She looked at me then Riley before going back to him. "These humans...they were his victims and yet they still defend his honor. I believe that Loki is innocent and that they speak the truth." The room felt a light lighter knowing that we had her on our side. The king sighed heavily and looked back at the pictures of Loki before walked over to Loki.

Loki's head hung in defeat. Thor clenched and unclenched his fists a few times. Everyone else seemed to have taken a small step back, including me. "Loki, look me in the eyes and tell me your story."

He lifted his head, his eyes bloodshot. "I was taken by...Him after I fell through the abyss. He broke me down and controlled me like a puppet, making me do whatever he pleased." His words held poison as he spoke. "I was awake through it all, aware of what I was doing and hated myself for being so weak for not being able to regain myself. It felt like an eternity. I was trapped in my body, a shell of what I was, for countless years." Loki swallowed and glanced at Riley behind him. "I would never control her world, a world that has equally treated her with hatred and disgust, but loves so much." The king rubbed his white beard before turning to Thor.

"And you trust the judgment of your friends?" Thor gave a strong nod. He face me and narrowed his eye. "You, if I'm correct, was thrown out a window by him. And yet here you are, defending him as well."

I smirked and crossed my arms. "Hey, in his defense, I kinda provoked him to do so." Loki rolled his eyes at me.

"Very well...this is my judgment." The room went still again. "Loki, after looking over the evidence and hearing the voices of these souls, I find you..." Loki's chin lifted high in the air, being prepared for the worst. "...Not guilty for the attack of Migard."

I smiled and dragged Bruce into a hug while he chuckled. Natasha and Clint shared smiles. Steve wiped the nervous sweat off of his forehead. Rapunzel brimmed with happiness. Thor cheered and Loki gasped, eyes going wide in surprise. Riley waited a second and then jumped into Loki's arms. I was actually happy to see this.

"Alright! Let's celebrate!" They looked at me like I was nuts, well more than usual. "Come on! Let's drink!" I ran over to my bar and pulled out all of the best stuff I had. Thor cheered with me and Bruce took a seat as well.

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><p>I learned a few more things today. One: Zeus was actually named Odin and didn't like being called Zeus. Two: Zeus-I mean Odin- loves to drink just as much as Thor and I do. Three: Rapunzel has a strong arm. Well, I guess I should elaborate on that. I had mentioned arm-wrestling and how Thor kicked my ass the first time I wrestled with him and she wanted to try. I didn't noticed the proud smirk on Odin's face when she challenged me. When I took her hand it was very soft. Bruce told us when to go and I went stiff instantly. She smiled sweetly at me, which was a LOT like Loki's smile, and threw my arm down on the counter. I was surprised and clenched my broken pride and ego. Loki rubbed my shoulder and told me a time when she kicked Thor's ass during a sparring match, which was only a few years ago. That had helped me so I felt better.<p>

A few hours went by and everyone was learning new traits of Asgard. I took the opportunity and silently pull Loki away from the group. "What is it you need Tony?"

I held up my phone as I pulled up the images of Riley's weapon designs. "Check this out. What do you think?" Loki took the phone carefully in his hand, his trademark smirk coming into place.

"I must say, I'm impressed. I have never seen a weapon such as this." He glanced at me with a raised eyebrow. "When are we going to start building this?"

I took the phone back to show a larger image of all three designs. "Well first I have to pick one first. I like this one, Bruce thinks this would be better and Steve think this one can fit her better. What do you think?"

Loki chuckled and shook his head. "How ironic. These designs fit all of your personalities." He took his time looking at them all before he faced me again. "Why don't you put them all together. Add these here for protection, use these for better aim when attacking and thin the blades out so it will be lighter."

I stared at the weapons, my mind already creating a image of what Loki described to me. I began to draw up the image on the phone, doing what Loki said, and started creating a 3-D model. Loki watched me over my shoulders. I was done within a few minutes and held it up to show him. "Am I good, or am I the best?"

Loki smiled and walked in front of me, pointing at the phone. "That is brilliant." He pointed at my head. "That is...eh." He waved his hand slightly and walked back to the group. I frowned for a second and shrugged my shoulders.

"Well, can't impress everybody."

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><p>I was sitting in the lab now, a little more sober than I was before. The party was still going on upstairs but if we wanted to get this thing ready then I was going to need to work on it now. I decided that parts of the weapon would be made out of Iron Man suits, for protection. The main problem was connecting a source of energy transportation. Basically meaning a way to control the magic within Riley through the weapon. I pushed away from my desk and walked around the room, needing to clear my head. "JARVIS, play me some ACDC, Shoot to Thrill."<p>

_"Of course sir." _The song started playing and my inspiration began to kick off. I grabbed a blow torch and a my goggles. My feet jumped over to my workbench. There were pieces of my Iron suit I was currently working on and figured that this was a little more important. I grabbed part of the chest plate and began to fire it up, bending it to the shape I wanted it. Hot sparks began firing off the sides, dancing over my shoulders and flying off my back. The heat never bothered me anymore after doing this for so long. Before I knew it the song had ended and another was playing. I didn't pay attention to what it was, just as long as there was a encouraging rhythm to keep me going I didn't care. I stopped the blow torch and checked it out. It was beginning to bend but it was going to take a while.

"Tony!" I jumped and dropped everything in my hands. My body turned to Bruce standing in the doorway. "What are you doing in here? You had everyone worried when you disappeared."

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. "Sorry Bruce, I wanted to get a start on the weapon. Loki fixed the problem."

Bruce walked towards me and I showed him my phone. He looked it over and smiled. "Fantastic. But we still need strong metal for the blades."

"I know, tomorrow I'm heading off to Wakanda to talk to a distant friend of mine." Bruce was taken back and crossed his arms.

"Okay...have you told anyone yet?" I shook my head.

"Not yet, I will later so don't worry too much." I looked at my ceiling and back at Bruce. "How is everything up there in the real world?"

Bruce shrugged. "King Odin has taken a liking to your TV. Queen Frigga is enjoying Pop Tarts with Thor and everyone else is watching them, making sure they don't destroy anything."

I chuckled. "Alright, I will be heading up there soon so don't worry." He nodded and left. I finished bending the piece as I wanted, making sure there was room for adjustments, and put it away. Lunch was around the corner and I was starved after drinking a few too much. I headed back up and started talking with Clint and Steve, informing them of my early trip tomorrow.

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><p><strong>And another chapter is completed! Yay! I wanted to add a little more to it when I realized that this chapter was already long enough! Oh well~ Anyway, for those who don't know or have not read the comics, Wakanda is a advanced tribe in Africa in the comic book world. I don't know if it actually exists but here it does. This means I will be bringing another hero soon enough. I won't tell until the time has come of his identity. If you haven't realized it yet this story will take a while, I like me some long stories. Hehe! By the way, my "O" button on my keyboard is acing weird and something it won't get typed up. So if you find words like "you, of, to, so, etc." with the "o" missing, that's because the stupid keyboard. Not my fault lol~ See ya'll next time!<strong>


	14. Chapter 14

**This was a quick update I know! I lost Wi-Fi connect for a while so I got board and typed to my hearts desire. I will warn you that there will be minor adult situations but it is nothing too bad. Just a little fun for me :)! Enjoy this chapter and the next one because that is when we met the next cast members of this play!**

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><p>It was getting late in the day. King Odin and Queen Frigga were actually interesting people, except for the part that Odin tried to take Loki away. When they talked about their kingdom and their world I got interested. Loki never wanted to talk much about it when I had asked in the past. He would occasionally say that it is beautiful or it is too perfect. It confused me when I was younger but now I have a better understanding of what he was referring to. The place does seem too perfect for my taste. I couldn't imagine what perfection is to the God of Mischief, probably one of the worst kinds of torture. About an hour after their arrival I had noticed that Tony had gone missing, which is really bad for a host to do. I waited another hour and when I still didn't see him I asked Bruce to go and look for him for me. I was a little nervous about it but didn't want to seem too nosey. He accepted and went on a journey to Tony's lab.<p>

Frigga stayed by my side most of the time, asking me of my personal life. I didn't want to be rude and just tell her that it was none of her business so I gave her some vague answers. Loki, I guess, noticed and came to my rescue. He began telling his mother of the times he would teach me when I was younger. She laughed and I caught Loki smiling. It made my heart melt to know he was comfortable now. A few minutes later and Bruce finally came out. Tony followed through not to long later. He talked with Steve and Clint, who was giving him strange looks.

Odin and Frigga decided that they needed to go back to Asgard so Loki and Thor led them out. I watched the window as a nasty storm came and went quickly. Suddenly, all was at peace. Natasha and Clint offered to go out and grab some pizza and drinks for us and left. Loki asked me to talk with him and so I followed him to our room. The first thing I noticed was that it was a little cold in here but kept my mouth shut. Loki sat down on the bed and pulled me into his lap. His head rested in the crook of my neck, his arms holding my body as close as I possibly could be. I rested my left arm around his shoulder and ran my fingers through his hair. "That must be a load off your shoulders."

He groaned and looked up at me, half of his face still in my neck. "You have no idea." His breath tickled my skin, causing me to flinch. His eyes glistened and I could barely see a smirk forming before he swiftly turned me around and tossed me onto the bed. I gasped and Loki was suddenly straddling my lips. "You certainly live up to your title." He chuckled and leaned down to kiss me.

Our lips danced against each other's, moving perfectly aligned. The tips of his fingers grazed the skin on my arms before jumping over to my hips. I flinched again and I felt him smile in the kiss. We pulled away for some air. "That is my job," He leaned closer again to where he was a breath away from my neck. "Now…let me show you how I became known as the Silvertongue."

I felt his wet muscle lick over a vein in my neck, making my heart beat frantically in my chest. I tried to hold back a moan but failed when went over a spot just under my ear. He chuckled before nibbling and sucking that area. My hands buried themselves within his hair and my legs pulled him closer to me. "Loki…" I moaned and felt my eyes roll back.

"My Queen, you respond to my touch perfectly." He moved his face down and trailed light kisses until he reached my shirt. "Now…let's remove this blasted thing." His hands grabbed the bottom of my shirt and lifted it up and over my head. I was half glad I wore a bra and half disappointed that I wore a bra. Loki's cool hands traveled up my stomach just as the door opened.

"Brother I-" Our head snapped over to Thor in the doorway. Loki growled and pulled the blanket up to cover me.

"Damnit Thor!" Thor smiled and laughed.

"Finally! I thought you would never take a woman to your bed!" Thor left the door wide open as he ran to the others. His voice somehow got louder with the distance. "My friends! Loki has taken Riley to his bed!" My face was beet red as I tried to find my shirt. Loki jumped off the bed and ran across the room to grab it in time and toss it to me.

Bruce, Steve, Tony, Clint and Natasha were all by the doorway, staring at us expectantly. I ducked under the covers and put my shirt back on, cursing at Thor in my head. I heard Loki stomping towards them. "Can we have some privacy?!" The door slammed and I could hear disappointed moans.

I crawled out from under the blanket and tried to fix my hair. Loki was glaring daggers at the door, daring for it to be open. I carefully walked towards him, a soft smile on my lips. "Loki, just ignore them."

He turned to face me. His arms shot out and pulled me against him again. "You are right…I have much better things to do then plot their demise anyway." I giggled and moved so I could kiss him again. We both moaned and then we heard a loud banging on the door. "Argh! What Thor?!"

"There is pizza and the many different sodas in the kitchen!" I rubbed my eyes and sighed.

"I am a little hungry." Loki nodded and smirked at me.

"Want to try something different?" I wanted to say that was what we were doing but decided to be a good girl and just nod. He rested his forehead against mine. "Close your eyes and give all of your trust into me." I nodded and I suddenly felt light as a feather. My body felt as if it was evaporating within the air around me before becoming solid again.

* * *

><p>There was loud gasps around me and Loki laughed. I opened my eyes and found that I was standing in the middle of the kitchen. I looked to Loki and pulled back a little. "Did you just?..."<p>

Loki nodded and waved his hand a little. He was covered by a familiar golden light that shimmered over his body. His normal human clothes had disappeared and changed into a black and green, leather suit with golden bands. His hair was smoothed back and the color in his skin began to warm up a bit. In all of his glory was Loki, the God of Mischief. "I have receive my magic."

I squealed and jumped into his arms. "Congratulations, Loki! I'm so happy for you!" Thor came up and hugged us both at the same time.

"It is good to see you are happy brother!" I laughed and Loki grimaced.

"Let go of me!" Thor dropped us both and Loki wiped away invisible dirt on his shoulders. "Now then, let us eat." Loki waved both of his hands and hummed to himself. The plates and individual slices of pizza began to fly in the air. "How many does everyone want?"

I rolled my eyes at Loki for being a show off and took a seat at the table. Loki passed me a plate with two slices and a glass of Pepsi for me. "Thank you of God of Pizza!" Loki was not impressed and I laughed as the pizza was getting served.

Steve took a sip of his drink and smiled at Loki. "Thank you for serving us." Loki gave a nod of recognition and sat himself beside me.

Tony and Clint instantly began chowing down their food and gave Loki the thumbs up. Loki raised an eyebrow and sighed before snapping his fingers, making a small try of napkins appear before them. He received dirty looks and I giggled to myself. It seemed that everything was fine. We were all getting along and working together.

I blinked as I took a bite of my pizza and looked over to Loki. "Don't we still need to find a weapon for me?" Everyone froze and kinda looked at each other. I was confused and Loki shrugged his shoulders.

"Stark said he had everything under control." I looked at Tony in time to see him glaring at Loki. I was obviously missing out on something.

Tony cleared his throat and wiped his face. "Yeah, I'm leaving tomorrow morning for important business." I was shocked by the news and looked around. Only Thor and Loki looked as shocked as I was.

I decided to speak up. "When did you plan this? Don't you realize what is going on right now? You don't have time to go and play Playboy right now, Tony."

He held up his hands. "Hold up! It's nothing like that. I'm going to ask a few favors of a distant friend of mine in Africa. It will take about a day or two but he can really help us."

"Well, who is he?" I wasn't angry, just annoyed that he neglected to tell me. More so that almost everyone else seemed to know but me and the gods next to me.

"His name is T'Challa and lives in an advanced tribe called Wakanda." I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms over my chest. "His people are more…spiritual, I guess. He has some tricks that can help us. Trust me, I know what I'm doing."

I thought about it and smiled. "Alright…" He relaxed and I smirked. "But bring Pepper with you." Everyone tensed up and stared at me like I was nuts.

Tony looked down but nodded his head. "Okay, I send Pepper a message." I smiled and we continued our dinner in quiet mostly. Thor would occasionally bring up Odin and Frigga, saying that they should come again and show them the amazing invention of the coaster of rollers. Steve corrected him but Thor continued to call it that. Loki mentioned a time when I snuck into an amusement park in order to get some toys and use them as practice targets. I eventually walked out of the place with a shopping cart as if I owned the place.

Everyone got a laugh out of that and we soon went our separate ways. Natasha walked up to me and smiled before sneaking something in my pocket. "Open it later."

I nodded, confused at her action, and left with Loki. When we got inside Loki waved his hand on the door and a steel lock appeared. I giggled and sat down, pulling out whatever Natasha handed me. I felt a small foil packet and stared at it, blushing madly.

Loki stood over me and picked it before glancing over to me. "Natasha?" I nodded, not trusting my voice for one second. He laughed and took it as he left the room. I watched him as he walked down and knocked on her door. Natasha walked out and Loki handed her the foil wrapper. "I greatly appreciate your consideration but I'm afraid that this is far too small for me. Do you happen to have a larger size on you?" I fell back in the room as I heard Natasha laughing her ass off. I covered my face with my hands, cursing Loki inside my head. He came back and sighed dramatically. "Alas, she does not them in my size."

I didn't understand why I was smiling like an idiot until a thought came to me. I stood up and grabbed Loki's hand. "Hold on, I have an idea. You want to pick on Tony?" He nodded enthusiastically and followed me back to Natasha's room. "Hey Natasha." She opened her door with a single tear in her eye.

"Yeah, what's up?" She was still trying not to laugh.

"I want to pick on Tony a little, can I have the…umm, condom back?"

Her eyes got big as she ran back in her room and came out fully. "I have to see what you are planning to do."

We walked down the hallway and reached Tony's room. I held up the foil in my hands and looked at Loki. "Can you make it bigger?" He nodded and snapped his fingers. The rubber ring was about as big as the palm of my hand.

Natasha pointed at it and then to Loki. "If it was too small then why didn't you just do that?"

Loki smiled and clasped his hands behind his back. "I wanted to see your reaction. Plus, I don't wear those infernal things anyways." Natasha and I shared glances and covered out mouths from laughing too loudly. I stood in front of Tony's door and motioned them to hide. Loki was to my left and Natasha was on my right.

I knocked on the door and heard Tony coming. I put on my best innocent face and hid my hands behind my back. Tony's opened the door and scratched his head. "Riley? What's up?"

I took a deep breath. "Umm, well you see. Natasha gave me a condom and well," I held up the enlarge foil packet. "It's just not big enough. I was expecting that you would have a bigger one." Tony stared at it before looking up at me.

"I…uh,…" Loki crossed his arms and Natasha held her hand to her mouth, hiding their laughter.

"You do have a bigger size, don't you?" I was acting as innocent as I could, giving him a puppy dog eyes just to be cute. Tony's face looked conflicted before looked away.

"No…I don't." Natasha broke into giggles and Loki slumped on me. Tony was stupefied before he finally caught on. "Oh! Haha! Very funny!" We all laughed hard, clutching our sides. "Get to bed!"

He slammed the door and we all made our way back to our rooms. Natasha held me tightly in a hug. "Thanks, I needed that." I hugged her back.

"No problem, it's about time Tony gets knocked down a few notches." I handed her the foil wrapper that shrunk down back to its normal size.

She took it and glanced at Loki. "For future notice, how much bigger would you need these?" Loki looked over me and bent down to whisper into Natasha's ear. Her eyes got big and she quickly covered her mouth with her hands. She blinked once and went straight to her room.

I stared at her door as Loki dragged me away back to our room. I looked over to Loki who was changing his outfit into black, silk pants. My hands reached under my shirt to take off my bra and remove my pants. I climbed into bed and rolled over to face Loki. "Okay, I have to know. What did you say to Natasha to make her act like that?"

Loki chuckled and pulled me against his exposed chest. "Do you really want to know?" I waited a second, thinking about it before nodding my head. Loki smiled and lowered his voice. "I told her as a god I can change my shape whenever and however I please. As you already saw firsthand." I blinked and hid my blush.

"Okay! Good night!" I felt him kiss my head and relaxed before we went to sleep.

* * *

><p>The next morning I got up and used my magic to change my clothes into a purple tank top and black jeans. Loki was still asleep by the time I was finished getting ready so I jumped on the bed and straddled his hips. "Come on, Loki! Get up!" He groaned and opened his eyes.<p>

"You better get off of me or else you are going to be bed ridden for the rest of the day." He gave me a sexy smile and I quickly jumped off the bed. He laughed and used his magic to change his clothes to. We walked into the kitchen and saw everybody already there. Natasha smiled and winked at us. Clint chuckled and gave me a thumbs up. Bruce shook his head while Steve and Thor looked very confused. I sat down next to Natasha as Tony walked in the room.

He was already cleaned up and was grabbing his sunglasses. He saw Natasha, Loki and I and frowned. "I will be leaving within the hour. I'll have JARVIS call you guys when I'm on my way back." I nodded and shared and smile with Natasha.

Clint cleared his throat. "Don't forget to pick up some extra sizes on your way back." Bruce choked on his coffee while we all laughed. Thor shrugged his shoulders, not understanding the joke. Steve rolled his eyes and ignored us.

"Haha! I will grab some extra small too."

Clint snickered again. "Hey now, not be selfish. Get some regular sizes for the rest of us too!" I fell to the ground laughing, bringing Natasha down with me. Loki bit his lip and was staring at the roof.

Tony growled and I took a few deep breaths. "Come on, Tony. You're always picking on others, it's not often we get to get you back at it." He rolled his eyes and looked at his phone.

"Yeah, yeah. I need to get going. Don't break anything while I'm gone." We all said goodbye and watched him leave. Everyone was strangely quiet. Clint looked at his phone and snapped it shut.

"Okay! He's gone!" Thor jumped up and bolted towards the pantry, bringing out three boxes of Pop Tarts and sitting on the couch with Clint and Steve. Bruce headed for the lab and Natasha poked at my sides.

"You wanna go swimming?" I broke into a grin and nodded. Loki waved his hand and we were all suddenly we were wearing bathing suits. Natasha led us to the pool and jumped in. I followed her while Loki went to the steps and rested there. "Come on, Loki. Be social!"

I laughed at Natasha as the rest of the boys, including Bruce came out. Steve smiled at us. "I'm thinking of a Barbeque. What do you all think?"

I raised my hand. "Yeah! Let's make it into a party!"

Thor threw off his shirt and pants before jumping into the pool in his underwear. Loki rubbed his eyes and swam over to us. "Thor, why didn't you just change into a bathing suit?"

"Because there is no difference between what I'm wearing and a suit made for swimming." Thor splashed some water at Loki. His black hair suck to his face and a drop of water dripped from his nose.

I smiled and turned to Natasha, splashing water at her. She laughed and splashed me back. Water was flying everywhere. "Okay! I give!" I laughed and took a deep breath of air when Natasha finally stopped.

"I win!" Natasha cheered. The water around us began to move. I looked around and realized that Loki and Thor disappeared. "Riley? Where did they-"

Natasha was lifted in the air on top of Thor's shoulders. I smiled and was soon lifted as well. I looked down and saw Loki smirking up at me. "Push them over!" I nodded and lifted my arms up.

"You're going down Natasha!" Thor grinned and held onto Natasha tightly.

"As if! I'm gonna win!" I latched onto her hands and began to use all of my strength to push her over. She was very strong and was using as much strength as I was. Steve and Clint were cheering as they got the barbeque ready. Natasha leaned forward and tried using her weight and extra height for her advantage over me.

Loki pushed back and Natasha began to lose her balance. I took this opportunity and threw her off to the side. She squeaked and fell into the water with a large splash, taking Thor with her. Loki and I cheered and laughed together. The next hour went by quickly. We played in the water and hung out by the pool. I never had so much fun in my life. I was with friends and I wasn't scared. Loki told stories about his adventures when he and Thor were younger. We all got a good laugh and ate hamburgers that Steve freshly made.

I did feel a little guilty that Tony wasn't here to join us. I hoped that he is having fun with Pepper though. I knew that Tony didn't tell me the full story as to why he was heading for Africa but I trusted that he knew what he was doing.

* * *

><p>It was about late afternoon when everyone went to relax and take a nap in their rooms. Bruce rested and Steve was passed out on the couch. Loki was exhausted and a little pink in the cheeks. We went to our room and rested next to each other. My eyes closed and I smiled. "My Queen?"<p>

I looked up at him. "Yeah, Loki?" The back of his knuckles lightly brushed my cheek.

"I want to start training you to attack, that means you will learn to kill." I stared at him before hiding my face in my pillow.

"I'm scared Loki, I'm not sure if I am ready."

I felt his arms hung loosely over my waist. "I understand but you need this control. Remember when Stark and I fought? You lost control and if it wasn't for the fact that Space recognized us as being childish it would've surely ripped us apart."

My eyes cracked open. Loki's green jewels were filled with concern. "What if I hurt someone by accident? I don't want to do that."

He smiled and moved closer so our noses touched. "I know you don't want to hurt anyone. Because it has happened so many times it has frightened you but you can learn if you trust me."

I smiled but caught myself. Something wasn't right. "What do you mean by so many times? I only killed one child." Loki's eyes grew wide before he tried to contain himself. I sat up in bed and narrowed my eyes on him. "What aren't you telling me? Loki?!"

He sighed and sat up as well. "You wanted to forget, I knew that this would come. I was hoping that I would've had more time to talk about this."

I blinked and remembered the day I killed that boy. I was taken away and sent to that place. My heart stopped for a split second. There was something missing, between the time of school and the doctors. I couldn't remember but that was something else. "Loki…what happened exactly after I was taken away?"

He looked straight in front of him and sighed. "You asked me to help you forget, but you do have the right to know." He looked down at his left arm and scratched at it a little. "When the police took you for questioning they had called in your parents." My parents? I don't remember anything about them. "Your parents came in quickly and were…upset. You had already caught my interests after your powers shown itself."

I shook my head. "No, you came after I had prayed for help for days."

Loki chuckled and took my hand in his. "You did pray, but I had already been watching you. I'm sure you are aware of the mutants that live amongst you here?" I gave a half shrug. I had heard of them but never paid any attention to them. "Your parents were yelling at each other, trying to figure out why their daughter was a mutant."

I pulled my hand from his. "I'm a mutant?"

He nodded. "Yes. They feared you and wanted to get rid of you. You cried out for your mother and father but they hit you and pushed you away." My breathing became heavy and my heart raced. "You were losing control again and fought back. Your screams shattered the windows. Your arms flung back to protect yourself from anyone who tried to hurt you, your powers coming out again. You had pushed everyone back into the walls, tearing it all down to the ground." He stopped and looked me in the eye. "The powers you possessed caused that place to burn to the ground, along with everything and everyone. People came by and tried to harness you powers, experimenting on you and testing your reactions. It wasn't until after you had called for help from death is when I came in. I had to beg my mother to allow me to come and help you."

My hands lifted up in front of me, shaking wildly. Flashes of a bright, white fire kept coming to mind. I understood why I wasn't so scared of the fire anymore, even after nearly dying when my home was burning to the ground. I had been through it before and was familiar with it. When I was sure that the books were safe I was able to make peace with myself, causing the fire to surround me. I couldn't believe it so I got out of bed and went into the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror, taking steady breaths. My purple eyes that use to be brown where glowing with anger. I was a mutant. My parents hated me. There was people out there who wanted to use me. And now there was a god-like alien who was bent on the destruction of all life. It was too much. My hands gripped the countertop of the sink, cracking it. I looked back at myself and saw something else that wasn't me. An image of a female corpse stood in place. Her empty eye sockets stared right through me, sending shivers down my spine. Her hand lifted up and pointed to the back of her head. My hand reached up to feel the area, recognizing it as where Space lived now.

My fingers rubbed the spot, soothing the ache in my neck. The anger began to fade away and I was calm once again. I blinked a couple of times and took a few small breaths of air before speaking. "Who are you?"

The corpse tilted her head to the side and stretched her leathery lips into a smile. It wasn't scary or threatening, it was friendly. I smiled back. I heard a knock at the door and jumped. When I looked back I notice that she was gone. I opened the door and saw Loki with his head down. "Forgive me, My Queen."

I stepped forward and hugged him close to me. "It's okay Loki. You were doing what was best for me. I'm okay, thank you for telling me this." He was shocked but quickly got over it, pulling me into a tight hug. I stepped back and kissed his nose. "I need to tell Tony and everyone else later." He nodded.

"Of course." I walked out of the room and went to find Bruce.

* * *

><p>He was in the lab reading. I went to turn around so I wouldn't bother him but it had seemed he already saw me. "Riley? What is going on?"<p>

I chuckled. "Sorry to bother you. I had a question, if you don't mind."

He waved his hand to the seat in front of me. "Take a load off. I like being asked questions."

I nodded and made myself comfortable. "What do you know about the mutant community?" He was not expecting that. His mouth had already opened to give me a straight answer but slowly closed again.

"Why do you ask?"

I sighed and played with my hands in my lap. "Well…I'm curious to learn about…my own people." Bruce stared at me and placed his book off to the side. He scratched his head and took a deep breath.

"I had my…suspicion. So you are a mutant?" I nodded and licked my lips.

"Yeah…what can you tell me?" He sat there and thought about it for a minute.

"You want the good part or bad part?"

"Both." He nodded and crossed his legs.

"Mutants want to have equality as to normal people do. They are out casted as freaks and are often hunted by corporations that want to take a hold of their powers and use it for war." I swallowed and kept my cool. "There is a group of mutants called the X-Men who fight like us against other mutants. These other mutants want to destroy humans who they deemed aren't fit to rule this world. Professor Xavier runs a school that teaches mutants to control their powers and even taken in mutants that are homeless."

I found myself smiling and got up. "Thanks Bruce. I'm going to study up on the school. Maybe I can get their help for this war that is coming."

"Hey, it's worth a shot. Good luck!" I leaned forward and hugged him. He was nervous but returned it. I left him to enjoy the rest of his peace and quiet. I headed for the living room and stood in front of the TV.

"Hey JARVIS, can you contact Professor Xavier. Tell them it is important matters on saving our world." The TV flipped on and I waited a second before a different face appeared on screen.

"This is Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Children? What do ya' need?"

* * *

><p><strong>I warned ya'! lol, I was iffy on introducing the X-Men. I had wanted to from the start but wasn't sure if I was ready for their epicness. I think I am ready! Tony's P.O.V. will show the conversation between Riley and the stranger. Can you guess who it is? Ya' probably could Bub. And if I haven't given you enough clues then you suck! Just kidding lol.<strong>


	15. Chapter 15

**Holy monkey nuts Batman! Another chapter?! That's right folk, I got yer here another fresh chapter to read. In case you can't tell I am exhausted because it's the middle of the night and I am still writing this crap. And it is all just for you! You're lucky I love you all this much to do so. Don't expect another chapter until a little later after my mind isn't as foggy. I'm surprised I can actually type right now to be honest. Anyway, get ready for the interesting video call to the mutants.**

* * *

><p>My fingers rapidly tapped against my tablet. I was making some notes about improvements on the Iron Man suits. Pepper was almost here when I received a message from JARVIS. <em>"Sir, the Avengers are having a Barbeque. They are asking if they can go and buy food."<em> I stopped and opened up the video footage. They were outside. Steve and Clint were cleaning the grill while Bruce watched Riley and Natasha fight while sitting on Thor and Loki's shoulders.

"Why the hell am I not a part of this?!" I scrunched up my nose and frowned. Riley and Natasha were having so much fun and for a minute it looked like Natasha was going to win until Riley pulled her forward enough to toss her and Thor off balance. They fell in the water with a loud splash. Loki and Riley cheered and Bruce clapped his hands, laughing with them. It made me smile and chuckled. "Yeah, tell them to go ahead and go crazy."

"I will notify them indefinitely." I went back to my note taking when the door to the jet opened up. Pepper strolled in with a light blue tank top and jeans with a suitcase by her side.

She looked at me nervously and smiled. "Hey Tony."

I got up and hugged her close to me. "Hey Pepper…I'm sorry."

Pepper hugged me and nuzzled in my neck. "I'm sorry too, can we forget and forgive?"

"Sure, I'm Tony Stark. I can do whatever I want!" She laughed and pulled away.

"I surprisingly miss that." We settled down in our seats as the jet began to take off. "So, you want to tell me exactly why we are going to Africa?"

I pulled up the final draft of Riley's weapon design. "I'm meeting an old friend who can help me build this. His tribe is advanced and possess the rare anti-metal, Vibranium. I think you remember him from a few years back. I went and tried to buy the metal from him and he laughed in my face."

Pepper smiled and leaned her head on the palm of her hand. "I remember. The King, he said that he would not be bought out. So you decided to try and play nice by buying his people medicine and herbs that they can plant on their own."

"Yep. I'm hoping that he will be more willing to make this than sell out his rare metal. I'm kinda glad he didn't sell out, who knows what would've happened to all of that good metal." I sipped my whisky and sighed. "Probably made better missiles that would've killed me."

Pepper got up and sat next to me, pulling my drink out of my hand. "You don't know that. And besides, the King is a good man. If you explain the situation I believe he will be willing to make one simple weapon."

I smiled at her. "You're right. Now if this jet would go any faster."

"Tony, you have the fastest jet for transportation. You even tweaked it so it would go even faster. Be patient." I rolled my eyes and took my drink back so I could set it on the table.

"Yeah, and it is still not fast enough. I'm marking that down as one of the things I need to do later." I pulled out my tablet and made a personal note of adding more speed to the jet. Pepper patted my shoulder and went back to her seat, doing whatever she wanted while we waited to get to Wakanda.

* * *

><p>I was watching the TV when JARVIS spoke up. <em>"Sir, Riley has made a phone call to Professor Xavier's School for the Gifted Children."<em> I paused whatever show I was watching. Pepper snapped her head up from the book she was reading.

"Why would she call a mutant school?" I shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know. Is it video?" He said yes so I told him to bring the call on the TV. Riley stood there with her hair still a little damp and a man with scruffy hair.

"Welcome to Professor Xavier's School for the Gifted Children. What do ya' need." His voice was deep with a strange accent.

"Hello, my name is Riley Janssen. I just found out I was a mutant today." I blinked and ran my fingers through my hair, I wasn't expecting that. Riley nervously laughed and the stranger chuckled.

"Funny how that happens, ya' want to join the school?" He smirked at her and Riley began to fidget.

"Thank you but that's not why I called. Our world, and I mean Earth, is about to go an all-out war with a god-like alien who wants to destroy all life in the universe. I wish to talk to Professor Xavier and ask for his help."

The stranger blinked and became very serious. "Well that sucks. Charles is in a class right now but I will call him in. It may a take a minute." Riley nodded.

I looked over to Pepper who was staring at the screen in shock. She glanced at me and raised an eyebrow. "Riley is a mutant?"

I shrugged my shoulders at her. "I guess, she did say that she just found out today."

The stranger came on screen again. "He's on his way."

"Great. What's your name?" He blinked and smiled, showing sharp fangs.

"Sorry, I forget 'bout introducing myself. I am Logan, my codename is Wolverine." I knew this guy! I have heard about him a few times. He is a big member of the X-men and is known for being brutal and unforgiving.

"Nice to meet you Logan, cool codename. Maybe I should get my own codename." Riley tapped her chin with her finger, thinking to herself. Logan chuckled and moved to the side as a bald man appeared in a wheelchair.

"Good afternoon, I am Charles Xavier." Riley blinked and straighten herself out, making me chuckle.

"Hello Professor Xavier. I come to ask for your help." Charles gave an understanding nod. "There is an alien that is known as…Him. His plan is to destroy all life within the universe in order to prove his love to Lady Death. He plans on using a weapon called the Infinity Gauntlet and collect the Infinity Stone in order to achieve his objective."

Charles laced his fingers together and placed them under his chin. Pepper came up to me and tugged on my arm. "Is that really true?!" I nodded my head slowly and turned back to the screen.

"That's not god at all. What are the Infinity Stones?" Riley gave a half smile.

"The stones are an unbreakable power source that when combined together can control the universe. There are six stones, respectively. Soul, Mind, Space, Time, Reality and Power. I possess the stone Space and I'm afraid that Him has Soul." Riley swallowed and ran her fingers through her hair.

Charles hummed and raised an eyebrow. "Do you know where the rest of the stones are?"

She shook her head. "The stones are nearly impossible to find. If one does have a stone then they possess great power."

Logan scoffed and scratched his chin. "That ain't nothing new to us." Riley sighed.

"You are right but this is different. A stone can wield powers that can control people and time itself." That caught his attention. "Yeah, I possess Space so I can teleport anywhere in the universe. Him has Soul so he can control people like puppets."

Charles spoke up. "What does the stone Mind do?"

"It's a blue stone that can access all of the minds simultaneously. It is believed that it is the personification of the universe." Charles looked up to Logan and shared looks. I was at the edge of my seat, knowing that these guys had some kind of secret.

Charles smiled softly at Riley. "I am happy to inform you that I am in possession of Mind." I stared at the screen. Riley's jaw dropped before she broke into a bright smile.

"That's amazing! Please Professor! Will you help us save our world?!" He gave a hearty laugh and rested his hands on his lap.

"Of course Miss Janssen. I will send some of my best mutants to help you. Perhaps they will help you find the rest of the stones before our time runs out."

Logan crossed his arms. "Hell, I'm in. I love to get some new action."

* * *

><p>The rest of the phone call was about arrangements for three mutants to come by and help us. There was Logan, a scientist named Hank, and a woman named Storm. Like we need any more storm causing people but nothing I could do about it now. I just hope they don't trash my tower until I get back.<p>

We reached Wakanda and drove to the small city. It seemed to have expanded in the last few years since I last came here. There was statues of panthers on every corner and temple. T'Challa believes that he holds the spirit of a panther within him and fights just like one. He had used the Vibranium metal to create retractable claws as his personal weapon. Not to mention that he is a trained gymnast, inventor, and has superhuman strength. Sounds like me, right?

Pepper and I walked through the city and smiled at the people who saw us. They smiled back and waved as we went by. Pepper had liked this place a lot the last time we came here and now I remember why. It was peaceful with little fights and sickness. Mostly because nobody wants to fuck with T'Challa and I helped out by providing medicine for them.

I walked up the steps into the temple and saw T'Challa sitting upon his throne. He looked at me funny and cracked a smile. "It has been awhile, Anthony Stark. What brings you here?" His hair was very short and jet black, his eyes a darker brown then my own.

"Hey T'Challa! Long time no see! I see that your people are doing well!" He chuckled and stepped down to walk towards me.

"Indeed they have. It is lovely to see you again as well, Pepper." She thanked him and he turned back to me.

"I have important things to discuss with you, regarding the protection of our planet." He got serious and straighten out his back.

"This is new. Let's talk more privately." I nodded and followed him with Pepper by my side to another room down the hallway. He offered us seats but I declined. Sitting down for half a day straight is really a pain in my ass. "What brings you here?"

"I going to go straight forward. Our world is going to be attacked by an alien who wants to destroy all life so he can impress his lover. We can stop him but I need to create a weapon for my friend. This weapon will be able to channel her powers out and fight back against Him." I took a deep breath and pulled out my tablet, showing the design to him. "This is what I came up with. I come here to ask that you to create this by using the Vibranium."

T'Challa studied the weapon carefully, his hand rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I have not seen a weapon that compares to this…"

I felt a bit of pride. "Thanks, so. Are you game, Black Panther?" He chuckled and stood from his seat.

"It will take about a day if we start now but I can get it done by this time tomorrow." He offered his hand and I took it.

"Thanks! You can come with us, see it in action and everything." He mulled it over and smiled again.

"I think I can do that."

* * *

><p>Pepper was taken away by the handmaidens to be pampered while T'Challa and I went to the back of his kingdom. I got to see the beautiful plants and animals passed by. This place always reminded me of a lost paradise. Everything and everyone here was kind and smart. Many of the people will learn several languages and become as smart as Bruce by the time they reach adulthood. I respected Wakanda because of the perfection of it all. "You are lost in the wave of your thoughts Anthony."<p>

I chuckled. "Yeah, that happens when you have a lot on your mind."

"I agree, but, it is good to lose yourself within your soul instead. You will lose what is most important to you if you are not careful, my friend." I sighed and rubbed the small headache that was forming.

"I understand T'Challa. I thank you for the advice but I cannot risk my mind to take a break right now." I stopped and faced him. "I have too much on the line to risk. Until I am sure that we have won I won't rest."

He gave me a knowing smile and we continued until we reached his weapon room. "I will ask for your assistance in the making of this weapon. It will go by a lot quicker if we worked together."

I nodded and removed my shirt. "Let's get started then!"

I watched T'Challa melt down the Vibranium in a large fire that glowed with blue and white colors. We waited for a few hours as it was getting melted, talking and discussing about our plans for attacking. I spoke about Riley from how I met her to the surprising video call on the jet. He laughed at me a few times and patted my back assuring me. When the metal was done we pulled out the caldron it was in and poured it out into a hand-made mold. T'Challa had got his workers to make it while we waited for the liquid metal.

Once it had cooled down enough we popped the metal out and laid it on a rock table. By now the sun was gone and the stars shined brightly. T'Challa passed me a hammer and showed me where I should hit it and when. We soon fell into a rhythm, shaping the weapon at our will until two hours later and we took a break.

I sipped their fresh water and groaned in pleasure of the taste. T'Challa handed me a rag and I wiped away the blotches of sweat that stuck to my face and neck. After we rest for a few minutes I saw Pepper walking towards us with a few women by her side. She dressed in a soft pink dress with her hair done up and flowers intertwined with her locks. My eyes locked with hers.

She smiled shyly and stepped up to me. "I have been walking around the city today and played with the children. How was your day?"

We laughed and I glanced over to T'Challa before facing her again. "We have the basic shape done now."

Her eyes went wide. "You two have been working for six hours. It's nine at night!"

T'Challa laughed and wiped his brow. "I have done this before and I can tell that so has Anthony. It is no problem." He got up and held his hands behind his back, reminding me too much of Loki. "Besides, the hard part is now done. We will start cutting it down and make the adjustments soon. It should be fully ready to be used by early afternoon."

She sighed and looked over to me. "Do get some sleep Tony."

I nodded. "I will Pep, don't worry about me." She smiled and reached up to kiss my cheek. "Get some rest."

"Good night Tony. Good night T'Challa, thank you again for your kindness."

He bowed and kissed her hand. What a show off. "It is no trouble at all. I hope you rest well." She left, the women following her and she was out of sight within seconds. I took a deep breath of air before turning to the weapon.

"Let's get started! I will mark the cuts and dents we will need to make." He agreed and went over to receive the proper tools.

He came back with a couple of stones and a rounded hammer for me. "I want to ask as to what inspired you to create this."

I smiled and took the hammer from him. "It's actually a funny story." I used chalk to mark the spots that I needed to bend. "Riley has a stone within her called Space. Its original power is to teleport anyone in anyplace of the universe, hint the name." I lifted my arm up and hit the still hot metal with the hammer. It dented a little and I sighed. It was going to be longer than I expected. "I had accidently flung my round magnet at a friend once and, bam! The idea came to me as the magnet went to my friend."

"What an interesting stone. Do you know where the others are?" I shrugged and began to hammer away at the spot.

"I know-" WHACK "That Professor-" WHACK "Xavier has-" WHACK "Mind with-" WHACK "him!" WHACK! I smiled when I got the results I wanted and moved over an inch.

T'Challa rubbed the two stones against each side of the weapon, making it come out to a sharp point. "So you know of the presence of three stones currently? At least we have two with us." I nodded and began whacking again.

"Yeah!" WHACK "But if-" WHACK "Him has-" WHACK "the rest-" WHACK "then we're-" WHACK "royally screwed." WHACK! I chuckled and pointed at him. "No pun intended."

T'Challa laughed at my joke and went back to sharpening one of the points. "You always had that warm sense of humor."

I moved over another inch. "I should tell you of Riley's prank last night." I began to hammer again as I spoke. The story went a little longer because my speech kept getting cut off but when I was done T'Challa was laughing so hard he fell to the ground and stopped sharpening the blade. "Hey now…it's not that funny!"

He wiped his tears away. "I think I will enjoy your friend! I look forward to meeting her and the God of Mischief." I rolled my eyes and began to work on the next part of the metal.

"You would like them. They are good people." We continued our work for the next three hours. It was about half done now and T'Challa declared that we both needed to get to bed and rest for tomorrow. I didn't argue with him and put everything away before shuffling myself to my room. It was not a far distance, thankfully. I walked in and noticed that Pepper was sound sleep. I was careful not to wake her as I got in and went to sleep instantly.

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><p>I woke up when Pepper gently shook me. "Tony, it's time to get up. It's eight o'clock." I groaned and sat up, rubbed my sore shoulders. "When did you get to bed last night?"<p>

I rubbed the tired away on my face and sighed. "About one in the morning. I need to wash up before I get back to work." I stood up and stretched my arms above my head, feeling a few pops in my joints.

"I'm glad you got some decent hours of sleep. You will be able to catch up with them on the ride back." I nodded and walked behind the paper screen and stripped down so I could bath myself. There was clean rags and vials of natural soap. I used them to wash myself quickly and dried off. I changed into clean clothes and followed Pepper to the banquet hall where T'Challa was feasting and waiting for us.

"Good morning my friends. I hope you slept well." I smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I actually slept more than three hours." I received a slap in the arm by Pepper and T'Challa laughed.

He handed us out plates of exotic foods and drinks. We rested there for an hour eating and talking before T'Challa and I got up to get back to work. Pepper told me she was going back to the city to play with the children and I told her to have fun.

We had to wait an hour for the metal to heat up enough before he went back to making the adjustments. We switched jobs and I sighed in relief. He laugh and said, "You have gone lazy Anthony."

I shrugged and carefully sharpened the last blade. "I kinda have been. Truth be told I have relied too much on my suit instead of my own strength." He nodded in understanding.

"That makes sense. I should tell you that you should fix that problem but I think you are smart enough to figure that on your own without my having to tell you." I pouted at him.

"I'm going to take that as a complement." He shook his head with a smile on his face. "With your expertise, when do you think we could get this wrapped up and head to the U.S.?"

He stopped hammering and twirled the hammer between his fingers. "I suspect that we can have this ready right as the sun rests at its highest peak."

I rubbed my forehead. "So…you mean in the afternoon?" He nodded and we went back to work.

Several hours later and it was finally complete. Except for the extra pieces I am going too had to it when we get back. T'Challa packed his bag of clothes and his special uniform, including his claws. Pepper said her goodbyes and T'Challa made a speech to his people before we finally went to the jet. I told JARVIS to inform that daddy was coming home. He gave me a sarcastic "Yippee!" in response.

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><p>We all rested on the jet. Pepper was ready her book while T'Challa was meditating. I decided to lye down on the couch and take a cat nap. Yet, another unintentional pun. Too back I didn't get to share it with T'Challa before I was out like a light. I woke up about an hour later when JARVIS' voice came up.<em> "Sorry Sir, but the X-Men have arrived and are meeting up with the Avengers currently." <em>I sighed and rubbed my tired eyes.

"Thanks, JARVIS!" I sat up and walked over to the mini fridge to pull out a bottle of water. I chugged it down and glanced at Pepper. "When are we to be expecting to land?"

Pepper looked over at her phone and smiled. "In about another hour." I nodded and turned on the TV, watching a classic cartoon that I grew up with, Tom and Jerry. That was the shit growing up! I was enjoying watching these animal become furniture of exploded. "Umm...Tony?" I glanced over to her and T'Challa got up.

"Yeah?" Her face was confused and her mouth hung open.

"Natasha texted me if you got the bigger sizes. What does she mean by that?" T'Challa fell back against his seat, laughing his hardest. I covered my face in my hands and groaned.

"Ignore it." I looked up to see T'Challa whispering into Pepper's ear. "Hey!" She snapped to me, her eyes wide before she laughed out loud with him. "Yeah, yeah! Laugh it up!" And they did. It was a long hour needless to say.

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><p><strong>If you guessed that the stranger was Wolverine then you are correct and totally awesome! If you smiled when I mentioned Tom and Jerry you are now my newest friend! If you wondered what Tom and Jerry was you need to get a reality check and sit in a corner. The next chapter will introduce what weapon Riley is going to be bestowed with. It's going to be interesting to say the least, especially since I am introducing the X-Men as well. Until the next chapter! Goodbye everyone!<strong>


	16. Chapter 16

**Here's another update! This chapter will introduce Riley's weapon finally. I have been very egger to introduce it and I hope all of you are excited too. Here we go!**

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><p>The day that Tony was scheduled to come back was long to start out with. We mostly sat in the living room watching some sports, except for Loki who wanted to take a nap, until JARVIS interrupted.<em> "Sorry to intrude but Miss Janssen, you have a call from an unknown jet that's flying towards our way."<em> I blinked while everyone's attention went straight towards me. "Umm…thanks. Answer the call." The TV went black for a second before a familiar face popped up. "Hey Logan!" I smiled and he chuckled.

"Hey Riley. Charles didn't have time to call ya' and inform ya' that we are heading on our way to your tower." Steve stood up and crossed his arms.

"Who are you guys?" Logan glanced at Steve and then back to me.

I gave a nervous chuckle and he returned it. "Sorry, I had forgotten to tell them. Who is with you and when are we going to be expecting your arrival?"

Logan went to reply when a large, blue man walked up and bend down to look at us. "Hello. I am Professor Hank, you must be Riley. Logan did say you were quite the sight." Logan growled and pushed Hank off to the side.

"Ignore him. There is only Hank, Storm and I. I think we will be there in about three hours if everything goes as planned." I blushed and smiled.

"Wonderful! I will get the rooms set up and…" I glanced at the Avengers. "Inform them of your arrival."

Logan laughed and saluted. "Aright then, see ya' soon." He winked and ended the call. I cringed and waited a second before turning around.

Bruce's eyes were wide and Clint was holding back a chuckle. Natasha smirked at me. Thor looked confused and Steve was slightly upset. "Umm…that was Logan, from the X-Men. They are going to help us with the war coming up."

I heard footsteps coming closer so I turned to see Loki standing with a book in his hand. His eyes darted around the room before settling on me. "What is the meaning of this tension?"

I sighed and motioned for him to take a seat. "Most of you probably figured out by now that I'm a mutant." My eyes scanned the room and noticed that only Steve was slightly shocked. "Anyway. Yesterday I contacted Professor Xavier and learned that he actually has the Infinity Stone, Mind."

Loki sat up more. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"It's good! The professor has agreed to help us and is sending three mutants from his team to help us here just in case something happens." I waited a second to let everyone soak it up before I continued. "There is nothing to worry about. In fact…I need to call Tony and let him know too…" Thinking about it, I felt a sudden rush of dread.

Clint chuckled and leaned back in his seat. "You haven't told him yet?" I slowly shook my head and he laughed. Natasha elbowed him in the ribs and I smiled thankfully at her.

"I know. I honestly forgot. JARVIS, can you please call Tony?"

_"Of course Miss Janssen._" I rolled my eyes and turned back to the TV.

A second later, Tony's head appeared, sweat rolling down his face. "Hey…I was about to call you and tell you that we are on our way. I'm bringing a friend home too."

I smiled sweetly at him. "That's great I hope you had fun. It's funny because I have some friends that are coming over as well. One is a professor…apparently."

Tony yawned and rubbed his forehead. "That's great, Riley. I will see you all in a few hours." He waved off before the screen went blank.

Bruce laughed and placed a hand on my shoulder. "That's some dumb luck you got there." I nodded and released a breath of air I didn't know I was holding in.

Loki came up and kissed my temple. "Don't stress yourself out too much, My Queen." I blushed and turned so I could kiss his cheek. He smiled. "I believe we should enjoy the quiet a little longer before we are introduced to…more friends. What do you think?"

Bruce chuckled. "I agree. There is going to be four more people joining us which mean that we need to stock up on food and prepare the rooms." I nodded in agreement.

"I can make the rooms. Can the most of the boys go shopping?" Clint and Thor stuttered.

Steve smiled and gripped their shoulders, as if keeping them from escaping. "Don't worry. The three of us will go and get that done and over with." I smiled and thanked Steve as he began to drag them to the elevator.

I turned to Natasha and Bruce. "I can handle the rooms so I think it will be a perfect time if you guys want to relax and enjoy this while it lasts." Natasha chuckled and have me a side hug.

"Thanks Riley. I'm taking up on that offer." She left and Bruce came up to me.

"Are you sure you can handle this?"

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. "I will be fine. Thank you but you could use a little me-time. Don't pass it up."

Bruce sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "If you say so." He patted my shoulder on the way out of the room.

Warm hands wrapped around my waist, pulling me into a strong body. "Now that we are alone," Loki's nose grazed over my exposed neck, his lips giving me light kisses. "I believe we deserve some time to ourselves. Don't you think so?"

My teeth bit my bottom lip, keeping my moans from coming out. I felt his hand move up slowly, traveling over my chest and dance over the skin of my neck. My eyes rolled back and my jaw was becoming slack. "Loki." I whispered and felt his chuckle behind me.

"Yes, My Queen?" My eye blinked and I was brought back to reality.

I blushed and took a jump forward, out of his grasp, and faced him. "I have to get the rooms prepared." He looked unamused with his arms crossed and his gaze settling on me. "If you behavior yourself then we can have some time to ourselves. How does that sound?"

Loki faked thinking about the idea before blowing out a large puff of air. "Very well, shall I help you so time can go faster?"

I smiled at Loki. "Thank you." He snapped his fingers then proceeded to pull me into him again. "Loki. I need to make sure that the rooms are properly made, oh God of Mischief." He growled and let me go.

My feet led me to the four rooms. I checked each one seeing that the beds were made and cleaned up. I smiled and left to head back to the living room. Loki stood in the hallway, next to our room, with a triumph look on his face. "Are they to your liking?"

I nodded. "Thank you. Yes they are."

"Good." He pulled me into the room and locked the door before capturing my lips into a heated kiss. We both moaned and before I knew it we were laying on top of the bed.

"Miss Janssen, Mr. Rogers and the other have returned with the groceries."

I opened one eye and glared at the ceiling. "Thank you, JARVIS." My arms stretched above my head and I yawned. Loki shifted and reached out to pull me against his body. His lips moved to kiss behind my ear.

"Ignore them, My Queen." I rolled over in his arm and nuzzled under his chin.

"Okay." I was too tired to even care at the moment. Loki seemed to purr. His hands held me tightly. I was in complete bliss until Thor kicked down the door.

"Brother! Friend Riley! We ask for your assistance!" I yelped and Loki pulled the sheets above my head. Loki growled loudly at Thor and he only laughed. "I knew this would happen! Congratulations Brother! You finally taken Riley to your bed!"

I wanted to cry I was so frustrated and embarrassed until there was a flash of green and I was suddenly clothed. The sheets were ripped off as Steve and Clint rushed to the doorway. Loki dressed me in a cat suit that was similar to Natasha's except it was a dark purple color and had green ivy leaves trailing down my arms and legs.

I glared at the door and got up. "Get out! There is nothing to see!" They chuckled before getting serious. The ground seemed to shake. We all kinda looked at each other until Natasha came running towards up.

"Harlem is getting attacked by the alien army, Chiritui! We need to suit up now!" Everyone instantly bolted and ran in their own separate ways.

I shifted to Loki who looked egger to fight. "What should I do? I don't have a weapon yet to use."

"You can still fight. You have strong powers, don't forget that." I wanted to tell him I wasn't ready but I knew better and kept my mouth shut. I was scared but I couldn't let my fears control me right now. There was people in danger and I needed to stay brave.

Everyone met in the living room where Steve was taking charge. "We are going to do what we did last time. Bruce, you're are going to take out any aircrafts in the sky with Thor. Natasha and Clint take the ground with me. Loki and Riley, you're new so do what you can."

Loki nodded and held on to me. "Riley will take us there." I gave him a funny look and he smiled. "You can do it." I nodded and held out my hands for everyone to take. We were all in a large circle remained quiet as I focused on taking us to Harlem. I began to feel weightless with a flash of a bright light blinding my vision. It was quiet before my ears were filled with the sounds of screaming and alarms going off.

The sight was heartbreaking but that didn't stop the Avengers. Bruce instantly Hulked out and jumped into the air. Clint and Natasha ran off into the distance. Thor swung around his hammer and shot out lightning before taking off as well. Steve looked at Loki and me. "Try and find people you can save."

I nodded and felt Loki take my hand. He began running, taking me with him. We were going to opposite way that the others went and towards some of the collapsed buildings around us. Loki waved his hand and large pieces of the buildings moved out of the way. I ran inside and found a small group of people huddle in a corner with an unfamiliar alien pointing a weapon at them.

Anger boiled up within me and my hands started to give a purple glow. I cried out and use my powers to shoot the alien. He slammed against the wall and died. My head turned toward the group and I gave a small smile. "You all need to find shelter away from here! Get out of Harlem!" They ran without hesitation and I followed them out.

Loki was shooting his magic out and hitting several aliens that tried to surround him. He noticed the group and smiled at me. "Good! Let's keep moving!" I nodded and ran with him. We turned down another street where a large aircraft was hovering in the air. Aliens were marching out of it and bolted towards us. "Shit."

I couldn't put it better myself. Loki flung his arms out and shot down the first row of aliens in front of us but they continued to charge. "Out of my way bub!" A large man in a black jumpsuit came flying towards us. He seemed to be holding three, large knives in his hands as he lashed his way through the crowd of aliens. Loki turned me around and kissed me randomly.

When he pulled away he was smirking. "Do you think that will be enough for you to use Space?" I nodded numbly and ran to follow the new guy. Loki's magic was flying next to me, hitting the aliens that would try and hurt me until I reached the man.

He turned around and smirked. "Nice suit Riley."

I was too out of it to notice who he was. "I need to get to that aircraft." My voice was wavering with another's and he noticed. His eyes studied me before he nodded and cleared a path for me.

My feet slowly stopped taking steps but I was still moving. I realized that I was hovering and flew towards the open door. The man jumped next to me and crouched down. My hands gripped him and the craft before Space took full control over me. "You all shall go back to void were you belong!"

The aircraft shinned brightly and I threw the man back so he would be transported as well. Within seconds the giant aircraft was gone along with most of the aliens that were still on it. My eyes blinked as I lowered myself to the ground. The man whistled and placed his hand against my back. "Take it easy there."

"I would appreciate it if you would be so kind to get you hand off of her." My hands rubbed my forehead, trying to ease the pounding that felt like it was swelling. "Riley?"

I blinked a few times and looked over to Loki. "I'm fine." I turned to see Logan glaring at Loki's back. "Logan? You guys got here pretty quickly." He smirked at me and crossed his arms.

"Yeah, we got a funky signal and went to check it out. Good thing we did." I nodded and saw a flash of green and blue coming our way. Hulk growled and was staring at Professor Hank. "Wow…you're a big boy aren't ya'?"

Hulk growled and everyone else came running towards us. Steve was holding his hands up as he tried to calm Hulk down. Thor landed on the ground with a beautiful woman with long, white hair.

They stared at each other for a while and swiftly turned away, crossing their arms. Hank came up and offered his hand to me as Loki pushed me behind him. Everyone was either yelling or talking too loudly, causing my headache to get worse. Finally, after a few minutes went by, I snapped.

"SHUT UP!" Everyone remained silent as I stared down, yes down, at all of them. I took a few deep breaths of air and touched the ground so I could walk forward. "Please, calm down. Hulk, thank you for your help but please relax. They are our friends." He grumbled before plopping his butt on the ground with his arms crossed. Logan chuckled and sat down next to him. I turned to Thor and the woman. "Thor, you're a gentleman. Be nice."

He didn't look please but sighed. The woman laughed lightly and shook my hand. "I am Storm. I am able to control the weather."

I smiled and pointed to Thor. "He is the god of thunder so I understand why we is a little defensive. You both share similar powers." She blinked and turned to him with what looked like respect in her eyes. I finally turned to Hank and gave him an exhausted chuckle. "I'm sorry about that Professor." We shook hands and he waved it off.

"There is no need for apologies. It is nice to make new friends." I smiled and shifted my attention to Steve.

"I think I have enough strength to take us all back to the tower." He nodded and ran over to grab a tarp before handing it over to Hulk. I watched as his green body faded away until the small Bruce came back looking dizzy as I was.

We returned and I cringed at how dirty we made the floor. Funny how this is my first and finally thought before I passed out.

When I woke up I was on the couch with Loki gently stroking my hair. My eyes opened a crack and saw Bruce and Hank talking with smiles on their faces. Clint and Natasha were gone. Steve was drawing in the corner and Thor was showing off his hammer to Storm. I used my hands to push me up, catching everyone's attention.

I felt nervous and gave a tired smile. "I'm glad to see everyone getting along." There were a few chuckles and a large hand came into my vision, holding out a Pepsi for me. I smiled at Logan and thanked him before taking a large drink from it.

Loki took my hand and rubbed his thumb over each knuckle. "How are you feeling? That must've taken quite a toll on you, My Queen."

My hand reached up to scratch the back of my neck. "I think I'm fine. Still a little sore but I'm use to that." I took a deep breath of air and placed my drink on the table. "We all did really well today but I'm surprised that we were attacked with only one ship."

Loki stood up. "They were testing us. Him will realize the power you possess and find a way to counter attack you."

Everyone got silent until Storm spoke up. "He may know that you have Space but he has yet to know of Charles' possession of Mind." Everyone smiled and looked to me. My face matched theirs and I got up, determination feeding my strength.

"You're right. We still have a large advantage over Him."

"More than you think!" My head snapped over to see Tony walking in with pepper and a strange man who held himself highly. "I have something I want to give you, Riley."

I pointed to him, confusion knitted in my brows. "How long have I been out?"

Tony shrugged. "About two hours. Sorry I wasn't there to help you guys out but it seems that you were able to hold yourselves easily." Pepper waved at me and I returned it. The new guy walked up to me and bowed.

"I am King T'Challa of Wakanda. I am also known as the Black Panther." I shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you. I expect that Tony behaved himself?"

He chuckled and nodded. "Of course. I do enjoy his company." Steve motioned his hand for us to get comfortable. Everyone had taken a seat or stood behind the couch while Natasha and Clint walked into the room. Steve held my shoulder, keeping me with him as he was about to speak.

"We've now gotten all of the introductions over with. Now we need to seriously think of a battle plan." He took a breath of air and looked over to Tony. "Did you want to show her now or wait until later?"

Tony clapped his hands together. "I'll go get it!" He went to run but stopped to point at me. "Close your eyes." I rolled my eyes and placed my hands over them. His feet got quieter as he went farther. I was able to hear a few chuckles so I stuck my tongue at them. My foot tapped against the carpet as I waited for Tony to bring whatever he wanted to show me.

After some time went by I heard some gasps and appraises. "Can I open my eyes now?" I didn't get a response at first.

Soft hands held my shoulders and a cold whisper brushed my ear. "This is your weapon Riley. A gift from the Avengers and I. He moved my hands out of my face to see what they were showing me.

My breath was caught in my lungs as I gaped at the weapon. It was a ring blade that came up to Tony's shoulders. There was three sharp ends that flowed out like leaves. A Black wire was embedded into the blade as it wrapped around and connected to three purple stone-like light sockets that kinda reminded me of Tony's Arc Reactor. On the inside of the blade was metal handles that protected the metal blade on the inside. It was painted purple and black and shined brightly.

Tony handed it over to me. "Hold it, get a feel for the weight and shape." I grabbed the inside and held it. It was a little heavy but not as much as I was expecting. My eyes went over to the fine details of the blade, noticing that swirls were engraved. It looked like rings you would find on the rings of Saturn or Uranus. My fingers went over the design, feeling my lips part but no words came out. My hand that held the weapon moved so that it was behind me, holding it up. It felt…right.

My breathing was getting a little rushed as excitement was coming over me. "I want to play with her." I got a few chuckles in return. Logan took a step forward.

"I'll spar ya'."

Everyone got settled in the training room with Thor and Loki standing outside of the sparring ring for protection. Logan smirked and got into his stance and balled his hands into fists. Three large blades came out and I was temporarily shocked but brushed it off. "I'm new to the weapon so I'm going to go slow."

He nodded. "Don't worry if ya' hit me. I got a strong healing factor." I nodded and spread my feet about shoulder length apart. Knees were bent and my other hand that wasn't holding my weapon behind me was out and aiming towards Logan. My body began to sway on its own, feeling the ring move in my hand.

Steve waited a second before announcing the start of the match. Logan jumped forward quickly. I moved myself to the side and pulled the ring blade over me so I was within it. His claws came into contact with the ring but they didn't leave a mark. We were a bit daze but he got over it quickly and went to slash at me with his other hand. I twirled in my spot, letting the ring spin with me. Sparks came flying out and I lifted my leg up and took my chance to kick Logan. It felt like I was hitting the Iron Man suit but he did stumble back.

I lifted the ring up and spun it on my arm while stepping towards him. Logan held up his claws to protect himself from the sharp points of my blade from hitting him. More sparks appeared. I was getting more into the fight, feeling myself getting excited. My hands were glowing purple again that seeped into the ring blade. The three light sockets lit up and when I gave it one more push there was a shot of a bright, purple light that hit Logan in the chest.

He fell back and tumbled a bit before getting up. Steve held his hand up and Storm and Hank ran over to him. My mouth hung open as I sucked up as much air as I could get. I gripped the blade and held it behind me again, getting ready if he would be attacking again. Logan laughed and stood up, brushing the burnt pieces of his shirt off of him. His skin slowly healed when I had hit him.

"That's impressive power ya' got there." He retracted his claws and crossed his arms over his chest. "How did you do that?"

I blinked a few times and placed my ring weapon next to me as reality started coming back. "Holy shit…I'm sorry Logan. I got carried away." Guilt was filling me and he only laughed.

"I told ya' that I have a healing factor. Ya' couldn't kill me with a blast like that." I nodded and felt Loki rub my shoulder.

I smiled at him and looked over my weapon. "It felt like…the blade sucked up my power and just released it all at once." I chuckled and sat myself on the ground, sitting within my weapon. "Just one attack really drained me…but I can get better."

Everyone began to walk forward and Loki went to reach out for me. There was a light shock that jumped out and zapped his hand. He cursed and raised an eyebrow. I instantly lifted my hands up. "I don't know! I didn't do that!"

T'Challa rubbed his chin and shared a glace with Tony. "It seems that when it is in this position, the ring blade will go into protection mode. Very useful to have." Tony nodded and smirked at Loki.

I carefully lifted it up and it draped between my left shoulder and my neck. "I will need more practice with it tomorrow. Right now, I have used up all of the energy I had left. Hell I'm not sure if I can even walk right now." My hands patted my thighs. "I can't feel them, hehe." Loki slowly reached out again. When nothing happened he picked me up, leaving the weapon on the ground.

Thor looked it over and glanced over to me. "What is her name?" I looked at the ring blade and thought about it.

It was really beautiful, symbolizing the solar system and I was the center. I closed my eyes and rested my head against Loki's chest. "Her name will be Nova."

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><p><strong>Logan is so badass! lol, anyway. A friend had asked me to post a Bio so I have done so. I don't care if you read it or not, it's in my profile. The next chapter will be war plans and Riley sparing with Nova. Tell me what you think and I will see you all again next time! PEACE!<strong>


	17. Chapter 17

**What's up people! It has been a while hehe. More action will be coming this way! Be prepared!...Oh! And this one is going to be a long-ass chapter, just warning ya'.**

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><p>It has been a while since I had some good pizza. In fact...I think that last time I had some was when I first met Riley. Damn! That seems so long ago but has only been a little over a couple of weeks ago. So many things have changed since then. My hand lifted another lice of the meat-lovers slice to my mouths as everyone gathered around the living room. "Brother! Will you please pass the golden sauce?!" I smirked and enjoyed my bite of freshly made pizza, ignoring Thor's booming voice.<p>

"Damn Bub. Do ya' need to be so loud?" Logan stuck his pinky finger in his ear and cringed at Thor's voice. Riley gave him a sympathetic smile.

"He really can't help himself. Does it bother you that much?" Logan took a swig of his beer before answering her.

"More so than ya' think." We all kinda gave him a confused look, which made Hank chuckle a little. Logan sighed and scratched his scruffy face. He could really use a shave. "I am a feral mutant. My senses are naturally heightened, including my hearing." He rubbed his nose and began to eat again.

Loki looked curious, which was probably a bad thing for him to be doing. "How interesting. If I may ask, what are the limits?"

Logan grunted and swallowed his food. "I'm not comfortable telling ya' that yet. No offense Bub." Loki shrugged and continued to eat. Thor rubbed the back of his neck.

"My apologies friend Logan. I was not aware of your sensitive ears." I chuckled at Thor's natural, caring nature.

Logan gave Thor a smile. "No worries, Bub." We fell back into a silence as we finished off the twenty boxes of pizza and wings. T'Challa had gotten Bruce and I into a discussion on the strange affect of Riley's weapon, which was now officially name Nova. It was a cool name and gave Riley my approval which Loki replied, "Such personal decisions have no need for your approval, Stark." It had kinda pissed me off until Riley went ahead and ordered pizza and beer for us. Which made me very happy again. Such a considerate friend.

"What do you think, Tony?" I blinked and rubbed my face with my hands.

"Sorry...I was out of it for a bit there." I was exhausted and wanted to sleep. "What were we talking about again?"

Bruce chuckled and adjusted his glasses. "T'Challa believes that Space may have something to do with Nova's strange behavior. What do you think?"

I sighed and stole a quick glance at Riley who was talking with Storm. "Honestly...I'm too fucking tired to even try to think of Nova protecting Riley like that. I'm so exhausted that I want to go to bed without even glancing at the lab, and it's only..." I checked the time on my phone. "8:32. If I head to bed now you think that everyone can manage themselves?"

T'Challa laughed and clapped my shoulders. "Rest, my friend. We all should do so soon enough." He rubbed his nose and relaxed a little. "Besides, we are all big kids. I think we can figure this out without our mother's help."

I laughed along with Bruce. "Alright! Night, get plenty of rest. I'm planning on a lot of training tomorrow." I gave Bruce a pointed stare. "And that includes you too." He stiffened but didn't argue with me. Bruce knew better, he needed to have Hulk more comfortable with all the new people...and I guess Loki too. Maybe we could train Hulk to fetch and attack on command. The thought brought a smile to my lips, seeing Hulk pouncing Loki and chasing after him. T'Challa and Bruce gave me funny looks but I just waved them off and went to bed.

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><p>I rolled over in my bed. I had slept alright, nothing to really complain about. My hand reached over to the other side of the bed and felt soft flesh. Da fuck?! My eyes shot open to see Pepper sitting on my bed, typing on her lap top. "Pep?" Her eyes glanced down at me and smiled.<p>

"Hey Tony. It's a little after nine, which is really good for you." She giggled and got up. "Bruce said you wanted everyone to train today. You are going to suit up in your sparring uniform. No Iron Man."

I rolled my eyes and flopped on my back. "But Pepper!" I whined and enjoyed the annoyed look that appeared on her face. "What if Iron man is needed?"

Pepper walked around the room and opened the curtains slightly. "Then you can suit up." I smiled in triumph and began to jump out of bed. "Only! Only if you are absolutely needed. Your body needs to rest up after all that work you put in to making Nova." I pouted at her and sighed, getting up and walking over to my shower.

"Yes mam." She stayed quiet as I made my way into the bathroom. A nice, hot shower and change into sweats and a black wife beater later I was set. I patted down the hallway and made my way into the kitchen, the smell of freshly made food guided me to the treasure trove. There was a banquet set out on the table, filling every inch with plates of food. "I died in my sleep...yep. I have no regrets."

"What about not being able to see Logan and Hulk spar today. You can't miss that." My eyes glanced over to Clint who was chewing on a piece of a crescent roll.

"That would be interesting to watch." I walked over there and grabbed my own, taking a bite. "Where is everybody?" He cringed at me for talking with my mouth full.

"The mutants, including Riley, are disusing private...matters I guess. Loki and Thor are outside yelling at the sky. Bruce is Showing T'Challa around the lab and Natasha and Pepper are scheduling a "girl's night out"." I blinked at him and rubbed my forehead with the palm of my hand. I wondered how these people could do so much this early in the damn morning. "When do you want to get everybody together?"

I blinked and finished off the roll. "In a hour. You want to inform everybody while I get things prepared with JARVIS in the training room?" He sighed dramatically and walked off. _Sir. Director Fury is calling. Shall I "Direct" him to the automatic voicemail? _I laughed out loud and shook my head. "That's funny JARVIS but I don't think I can avoid him much longer. Put him on the line." There was a sweet second of blissful silence before the Cyclops' voice rang through my ears.

"You better have a fucking good explanation as to why you have three mutants in your house and did not inform me about it!" I looked up to the ceiling and gave Fury's voice the bird.

"Hey one-eyed-one-horn-flying-soul-eater!" I stopped to listen to the slight growl at the end of the line before I continued. "In fact, I do have a good reason for having three members of the X-Men in my tower. Why did I not tell you?...I guess it slipped my mind." I chuckled and waited.

"Stark! These mutants are not part of the Avengers and can be a danger to the team and your precious Riley."

My fingers drummed the table in front of me as I did my best to keep my cool. "Listen here Fury. You are NOT my mother. What I do here is none of your business. These X-Men were actually invited by Riley because she found out that she too was a mutant. So basically fuck off. I got this handled, I didn't see your agents down in Harlem yesterday." I made a cutting motion across my neck and JARVIS ended the line. "Fucking asshole."

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><p>"Alright, I think we have everything covered." I rubbed my hands together and looked over to Bruce. "You think you can handle it buddy?"<p>

Bruce handed me his glasses and scratched the back of his head nervously. "I think I can do this."

I nodded and looked over to the can opener, Logan. He crossed his arms and smirked. "I can handle it." I gave the thumbs up and stepped back, standing next to Thor and Hank. Logan balled his hands into first and his three, sharp claws came out. "Don't hold back, ya' hear?" Bruce took a deep breath. In a matter of seconds his whole body began to change before our eyes. His dark skin melted into a bright green while his body grew larger until he was about five times his original size. Logan got himself prepared and whistled. "Hey there big guy." Hulk grunted and lifted his arms up.

We watched as Hulk clasped his hands together and threw them on the ground in front of Logan. He went flying back and slammed into the wall. Hulk grinned and I barked a laughter. "Well that didn't last long."

"Don't underestimate Logan." I turned towards Hank and he smiled. "He can take a hit from Hulk ten times over and still brush off the dust as if he fell on the ground." I cocked my head at him, curious about how this guy was about to obtain something so amazing. being able to withstand hits like that is pretty damn amazing.

"You can do it Logan!" Riley and Storm cheered for the can opener as he got back on his feet.

Logan crack his neck and smirked again. "Nice shot there Bub! Now it's my turn!" He sprinted forward with his claws out and pounced at Hulk. Hulk went and tried to slap Logan out of the way but it seemed that Logan was much faster than we expected. Soon, Logan was behind Hulk and jumped on his shoulders. Hulk thrashed around and tried to reach back to grabbed him, unfortunately his arms were just too big and couldn't quiet reach. Hulk then began to spin around, flinging Logan around too until he was finally able to get a hold of Logan's leg and rip him off his shoulders.

Hulk growled at Logan before Logan used his other leg to kick Hulk in the face. "Ouch." The other agreed with me. Hulk dropped Logan and kicked him in return, sending him back into the wall again. Same place too. "Why can I never have a healthy tower?" Logan jumped a few seconds later and ran back at Hulk. Hulk ran forward and collided with Logan, sending him to the floor and punching him a few times. I cringed at each hit until Logan caught his fist and sliced at hulk's exposed chest.

They both took a few steps back, panting and waiting for the other to move. hulk watched him until his eyes darted to us and stayed. I followed his eyes and paled when I saw that Hulk was watching Loki. We stayed still, unsure of what to do. Loki took a step forward and extended his arm out to Hulk. "Peace, Beast." Hulk growled and grabbed Loki's whole arm carefully. Hulk smiled and withdrew his hand to pat Loki on the top of his head.

"Nice, Puny God." I fell to the ground laughing so hard at Loki's face. Thor had tried his hardest to not follow me and held his hand to his mouth. Everyone else began snickering, even Logan.

I forced myself to take a deep breath of air as I felt my lungs burn a little before I tried speaking. "O-Okay...haha. Now It's S-Storm against Thor...haha." Loki was shooting death glares at me but I ignored him as we made our way to the roof, for obvious reasons.

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><p>Thor decided to wear some silver helmet that reminded me of a pigeon. Storm dressed into her X-Men uniform, which was a very nice call, and smiled sweetly at Thor. "You are the God of Thunder, let's see how well you withstand against all of the elements." She began to hover as her eyes glowed.<p>

Thor chuckled and swung his hammer around. "I shall hold back so I won't harm you, Lady Storm." I couldn't tell if she was impressed or pissed off. Either way, her response was whacking Thor with a quick gush of wind. He flew back and came around to swing at her in a matter of seconds. Storm pointed at Thor with her hands, guiding storm clouds to attack him. He only laughed and swung his hammer. "You have already forgotten who I am!"

Thor lifted his hammer in the air, gathering lightning and threw a good-sized wad at her. Storm shrieked and called upon the rain. We were not happy. I looked at everyone and pointed to the door. "Let's get inside." They nodded and we all headed towards the door. My hand was just a inch from the door when I heard another whack. We turned to see Thor standing above Storm with his hammer raised, commanding the lightning storm that Storm actually created, talk about irony. "Okay! Break it up!"

Thor nodded and stepped back holding out his hand for her. They both had smiles so I hoped that their egos won't be the end of us later. Hank was rubbing his arms and gave me a look. "Do you think we can go inside now?"

I noticed that his fur was soaking up water like a sponge. "Yeah, I'll get you a few extra towels too."

"Thank you Tony." I waved him off as we went back inside. So far Logan was practically indestructible and hulk was smarter and funnier than we expected. Thor was a gentlemen and IS the God of Thunder. Storm is very helpful and if the two gained up together then we would have Mother Nature kissing our asses.

I grabbed my tablet and began typing up notes I saw with these two fights, having pointers for future references. "Are you and T'Challa sparring next?"

My eyes darted over my shoulder to see Riley and Pepper standing there. I sighed and gave them a smile. "I think so. Then I was hoping that Big Blue and Capsical take a turn after that."

Pepper scrunched up her face and Riley rolled her eyes. "Okay...so Hank and Steve, gotcha." I chuckled and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge. "After then who would be next?"

I stopped to think about it. There was Natasha and Clint along with Riley and Loki who haven't sparred yet. "I'm thinking you against Widow and Loki against Robin Hood." Pepper stared at me in shock.

"You want Clint and Loki to fight against each other? Are you nuts?" I gave her my signature smirk.

"Probably." She shook her head while Riley seemed a little lost. "Loki took control over Clint remember? There's probably some tension between the two still."

Riley blinked and face-palmed. "Tony, you don't think that this is a bad idea at all?"

I shook my head and took a drink. "No. We are a large team now and Loki, a little to my distaste, is a part of it as well. They need to learn to trust each other. And that means letting out all aggression." Riley thought it over for the moment.

"I guess you're right." I smiled and left the water on the table as I led them back to the training room.

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><p>"It has been a while since we have done this my friend." I chuckled and raised my fists.<p>

"Yep! Should've done this more often while I had the chance." I shrugged my shoulders as T'Challa pulled his mask over his face. He had a really big thing for panthers. His costume was completely black that clung to him like a extra layer of skin. His mask almost completely covered his whole face and even had two sharp points at the top, indicating cat-like ears.

"As long as you have gained something for that lesson, then all is well." T'Challa crouched down like a predator. I kept my eyes focused on him, ignoring everything and everyone around use. I had too or else I would get seriously injured like that last time we fought together. that was a experience of a lifetime.

My breathing had calmed and my fist had already began to sweat a little. I was not going to admit that I was nervous, never. I was more of...okay, I was nervous. T'Challa, or Panther now, didn't waste a second to instantly pounce at me. He was quick and I was barely able to jump to the right and get out of the way while throwing a kick at his ribs. Panther rolled out of the way and crouched again. This time I ran up to him and threw punches at him, grunting out so I could keep breathing. Panther was able to doge most of them but my last left hook got him in his left shoulder. We both jumped back and watched each other for a moment. "First hit is mine." I whispered to myself.

Panther jumped up and came down towards me with his claws out. I threw my body to the floor but I wasn't quick enough and felt the tips of his claws cut my skin open when my shoulder blades were. I held back a moan of pain and got up to swing a hook kick to his jaw behind me. Panther duck and threw a punch at my stomach, throwing me back a few feet and knocking the wind out of me. My eyes closed shut and my mouth was open as I tried to suck in the air back into my lungs. I heard the small patter of his feet so I forced myself to roll over and get back on my feet. My left hand instantly went to my gut, feeling around for a second to make sure there wasn't a gaping hole.

Panther came charging at me again, unleashing his claws at me. I held up my arms to protect my throat, cringing as the forearms were being shredded. I had to endure it for the moment so I could wait for my moment. Thankfully I saw my chance when he had let his arms stay apart to see a opening to his exposed chest. I lifted my foot up to kick him in the ribs and connected. My right fist pulled back and made contact with his jaw, making Panther fly back as well. My ears rang from a loud voice that yelled, "Stop!". I blinked and stayed still as a stampede of people came rushing towards us. My eyes began to focuse on the first person who came at me.

Pepper.

I smiled and felt myself fall back on my ass. She knelt in front of me with two rolls of gaze in her hands. "How...did I...do?" I panted, finally feeling the warm river of red flowing down my arms and back.

She didn't answer me as she instantly went to work patching me up. Loki came up and stopped her by placing his hands on her shoulders. "Let me." I raised a eyebrow and carefully watched as a soft, green light glowed from his hands. Loki gently palmed my arms with his cold hands, making me hiss in pain. "My apologies, Stark. It will sting a little."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks for the warning Rock-of-Ages." He chuckled as soon I began to feel my skin patching itself together. It took a minute for each arm and then he went for my back. I got use to the slight burn of his magic by now. My eyes went over and watched as T'Challa began walking over to me with worry in his eyes. "Don't worry. I'm fine." He gave me a sloppy smile just as Loki finished. I got up and look at the ground. there was a small puddle of my own blood surrounding my feet. It kinda grossed me out for the moment but it honestly could've been a lot worse. Loki walked past me and I frowned, crossing my healed arms. "Loki." His head turned at me. I sighed and swallowed my ego for the moment. "Thanks for your help." Every looked kinda shocked. Loki smiled and gave me a nod before leaving the room.

Pepper took my arms and looked them over. I chuckled, gaining a smile in return. "Next time...wear the suit."

I stood straight and gave her a quick salute. "Yes Mam!"

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><p>After I chowed down on a few donuts cleaned up my own blood, everyone got settled for Hank and Steve's match. The both shook hands before taking a few steps back from each other. Thro stepped up and raised his hand in the air. "Let the fight...COMMENCE!" Steve instantly threw his shield at Hank who caught it without much energy.<p>

I covered my mouth with my hand to keep myself from laughing at Steve. throwing his shield around was such a obvious move that even a X-Men who only fought with us once already picked that up. Hank gave Steve a sad smile as he threw it back at him. "I'm sorry about that Captain, I just saw that a mile away."

Steve was irritated and went to charge at him. Logan scoffed and took a swing of his beer. "How is he the favorite one when all he does is throw that thing around?" I shrugged my shoulders.

"Something about his being patriotic and the symbol of America." I glanced at him and smirked. "You know, I could get you a red and white uniform just like Caps for Canada." Logan growled at me and showed me his middle claw. "Very creative."

"Fuck you." I laughed and received two slaps in return from pepper and Bruce. I turned my attention back to the match to see Hank standing over Steve, scratching his head.

"Are we done Captain?" Steve groaned and Thor announced that the match was over. Logan cringed and rubbed his ears before he headed over to Hank with Storm following. Steve got up and looked like a kicked puppy.

Natasha patted his shoulder and Riley gave him a bright smile. "Don't worry about it. We are all learning new ways to improve ourselves. That what this whole day is about." Steve smiled and nodded before walking out. Riley rubbed her hands together and looked at Natasha. "Okay, so are we next?"

Widow nodded. "Yeah, get your Nova ready."

Riley quickly ran to the other side of the room and picked up Nova that rested on top of a bench. Widow walked to the center of the mats while Riley jogged up. "Wait. You don't have a weapon of your own...unless you are going to use your guns."

Natasha stopped for a second and thought about it. "You have a good point." She glanced over to me. "You think you can spare a suit?"

I scratched my chin and crossed my arms. "They weren't made for a woman...but I could maybe get some gloves and a small chest piece." She nodded as I went down to the lab. "JARVIS, can you quickly alter the Mark I chest piece, make it a little smaller."

_"I shall do my best Sir." _I nodded and went over to the suit and began typing away on the computer. The suit moved on it's own to the center of the room and began to dissemble itself. I took the gloves and looked them over. Natasha wasn't going to need to use a blast to protect herself she just needed the extra protection from the sharp blades of Nova. _"Sir, I'm going to have to remove 67% of the wiring and metal casing in order to make it smaller."_

"I go ahead JARVIS." I watched out of the corner of my eye, seeing my suit beginning to break apart until it was just the basic outer layer left. My little friends began to cut the suit down and shaping it thinner. About a hour later and it was done. "That went better than expected." I grabbed the gloves and the chest piece, that was a hell of a lot lighter now. "Thank JARVIS!" _"Of course Sir."_

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><p>"How does this fit?" Natasha placed the chest piece on. It was still a little big on her but I was more worried about the weight and if it will protect her. "Is it too heavy? Too bulky? Too flashy?"<p>

She rolled her eyes and began to put on the gloves. "No, no, yes." I took a step back as she threw a few punches and a kick in the air. "It will do for now. Thanks." I waved her off and got the hell out of the way. Riley seemed a little nervous about sparring Natasha now, as if she was afraid of hurting her. "Are you ready girl?"

Riley nodded. "First...I know you are protected and everything but I'm not. So let's agree that the boobs are off limits." I was stumped and looked around. Riley's comment got everyone's attention by now.

"Deal, same with the hair." Riley held Nova behind her back and got into her stance. I was kinda hoping for a cat fight but now I know that this was not going to end like I dreamed.

Loki seemed just as nervous as Riley was, standing still and keeping his eyes on her, rarely blinking. Steve announced the start of the fight and Natasha didn't hesitate to jump. It always seemed like there was somebody itching for a fight while the other was nervous as hell. Riley flung Nova in front of her, clashing against the gloves that Natasha wore. Small sparks flew by quickly and Pepper "Oooo'd!" Natasha, being quick on her feet, spun around and kicked Riley back. She tumbled and got back on her feet with Nova wrapping around her. Riley ran up and twirled her hips, throwing Nova out to hit Natasha and try to land a good attack. All it was doing was making sparks fly. I was confused as to why she wasn't go all out.

"She'll holding back." My head snapped to Loki who was suddenly standing next to me. "She is afraid to killing again." My eyes got wide as I gaped at him and turned back to the girls. Natasha was throwing kicks and punches at her like it was nothing, over half of them connecting to Riley. "Stark, Logan, take off your shirts."

Logan and I gave Loki a disgusted look and watched as he was taking off his shirt. "Listen Bub, now is not the time-"

"Just trust me, this is for Riley's sake." Loki stood half naked, showing his body. He was surprisingly more toned that I thought he would be. Logan shrugged and threw off his shirt and flung it over his shoulders. He was hairier than I expected too. I sighed and decided to play along and pulled off the wife beater and dropped it on the ground. I noticed that Pepper began to get as red as her hair color was in her cheeks and tips of her ears. Just as Natasha kicked Riley back again Loki whistled to her. She looked at us and dropped her jaw. "Fight back, My Queen. Or I will have to teach you a lesson later."

Loki's voice was way smoother than my vice could ever be. It certainly gained Riley's attention as she panted hard. Her eyes glowed purple and I suddenly realized what Loki was doing. I looked over to Logan. "We need to get her heart racing, that triggers Space." He smirked and nodded.

Natasha jumped up to land a kick on Riley. She was quick and lifted Nova to block the attack and pushed her back with a growl. "Hey Riley!" She looked over to Logan. "If ya' hold back then we are going to finish ya' privately." Pepper made a squeak and excused herself along with Steve and Bruce. Riley began to glow brighter but it seems she was still holding back.

Riley ran forward and punched Natasha and went to kick her legs out. Natasha side-stepped out of the way and back-fisted her in the face. Riley yelped. I swallowed the hard lump in my throat and placed my arms around Loki and Logan's shoulders. "Riley. Don't forget." She growled at me. "We all have plenty of experience for you to try out. But we aren't going to take turns." Her eyes widen and her hands shook. "It's going to be all at once." Riley howled and charged at Natasha. "Okay, I think that did the trick." They both nodded.

Natasha held up the gloves to protect herself as Riley slashed Nova repeatedly. More spark were flying out until one final hit got Natasha to stumble on her feet, leaving her exposed. Riley growled and punched Natasha in the chest. She fell to the ground and was slower at getting up. Riley began to spin Nova on her arm, the purple light making it's way back into the light sockets. Nova glowed and made a whistling sound before Riley held Nova out with her hands and shot a blast of light in the center of her chest. The armor cracked and broke apart as Natasha was thrown to the floor again.

"Natasha!" Clint wasted no time to get to her, all of us following right behind.

Riley stilled held Nova up, ready to keep fighting. **"Foolish woman believes her to be the best. I am the source of power, the alpha, the center of the universe. And you will do well to remember that!" **Thor and Loki knelt on the ground in front of her as all of us wondered what the hell to do now.

Thor slowly lifted his head and spoke softly for the first time. "Space, now that I have this chance to speak to you. I ask for your help. Him is coming and plans to wipe all life out. Will you assist us?"

Riley, or Space, looked down at Thor with the purple light still steaming from her eyes. **"I sense the four other Infinity Stones. One in Asgard, another in Jötunheimr. The other two are in Hel. The Gauntlet itself remains hidden to my eyes." **Riley lifted Nova up and carried it behind her back. **"Him is seeking Lady Death and plans to attack again in time. Be prepared Princes of Asgard for he has gained assistance of the Dark Elves."**

I noticed that Thor and Loki shared nervous glances before Riley fell to the ground. "My Queen!" Loki went to her side and held her in his arms.

Hank went over and looked at her. "She seemed spent for the day. She is fine though, aside of the hits she took from Natasha." Loki nodded and pulled Riley closer to him. Clint walked up with Natasha hanging off of him.

"Hey, you okay?" She nodded at me with droopy eyes. "Clint, you want to take her to her room?" He walked off without another word as Steve and Bruce came back in.

"What happened?" Bruce got really nervous and Steve looked concerned.

Thor stood up and answered for me. "Riley had connected with Space fully. Space was able to give us knowledge of where the rest of the Infinity Stones rest and that Him has connections with the Dark Elves." Logan crossed his arms with his shirt back on.

"So I'm guessing that this is a very bad thing."

Thor nodded. "Yes. They, separately, are strong foes but combined forces means that they could be...unstoppable."

I cursed and picked up my shirt to put it back on. Loki stood up and carried Riley out silently with a cold expression plastered on his face. Hank and Bruce shared a few words while Storm spoke with Thor and Caps. Logan and T'Challa came up to me and we stared at each other for a moment. I could tell they wanted to say something but was holding back from doing so. I sighed and looked at the doorway where Loki took Riley off to. "I thought we had the advantage but after seeing the look on their faces..." I looked back at them. "I'm not so sure anymore."

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><p>We gathered around the living room with Steve standing up as a leader, yet nobody said anything. Natasha had rested in the bedroom, waking up about a hour later, and Riley finally came back to us. She refused to speak or even come out of her room. A large cloud of depression filled the atmosphere and most of us couldn't understand why. Thor sighed loudly, getting everyone's attention. "Brother, you think that your daughter could assist us?" I blinked and slowly turned to Loki. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.<p>

"She hates me Thor." Thor shook his head.

"No daughter could hate her own father. She is older and should understand, especially now since the Nine Realms are at risk." Loki took a deep breath and shook his head. "Brother, please try."

Loki pushed himself off the wall and point a finger at Thor. "Have _your_ _Father _speak to her then! He is the reason she was ripped from my arms the day she was born anyhow!" Most of us flinched at his harsh words.

Hank cleared his throat, being brave enough to speak first. "Your daughter is the queen of Hel, correct?" Loki gave a sharp nod. "So the myth was true. No wonder you despise Odin so." I made a mental note to research Loki mythology.

Loki rake his fingers through his hair and began to pace back in forth. "It's not just Hel I'm worried about. It's Jötunheimr as well." Thor casted his gaze to the ground. Steve raised a eyebrow and turned towards Loki.

"What's the problem with that place?" Loki froze in mid step. it felt as if the temperature of the room gradually began to drop.

Thor became very nervous. "Brother, please. Contain yourself. We are now all friends-"

"They are not my friends!" His pale skin grew darker, ridges made their way onto his face and his eyes looked painted over with a deep crimson color. He swiveled to us and growled. "Look at me! I am a monster! Jötunheimr is the birth place for such monsters!" Frost creped out from his bare feet, icing the floor around him.

We got up and made our way onto my furniture to escape the frost that soon covered the floors. "Brother! Control yourself!"

"NO! This is who I am! This is what I have become!...**A MONSTER**!" The ice crawled up the walls by now.

"Loki." A soft voice from the other side of the room called Loki's attention. The frost slowly began to fade away but Loki remained the same. "Please turn around." I noticed how he swallowed and hesitated of showing himself to Riley. His back was soon to us and I could see Riley walking up to him, her expression neutral. Her arms went around his waist as she carefully hugged him. "It's okay. We are not making you go anywhere, and especially not alone. I will go with you and I'm sure Thor will go as well. But only you two can get any of us there."

Loki calmed down and his skin began to go back to the familiar paleness. I was unsure of what anybody should do or even say next. Thank Norse god Steve is thick enough to break the silence. "We need to make another plan. Let's break up into two groups. One will travel to Hel one day and the other will head to Asgard and Jötunheimr the next day that way if we are attack again we can still protect the planet."

That was a good plan actually, but I would never tell him that. Storm tapped her chin. "That's a good idea. The first team can leave in two days that way we have all of tomorrow to prepare."

Steve nodded. "I will be leading the first team, I suggest hank to lead the second."

Hank smiled at Steve as he shook his head. "I appreciate the suggestion but Storm is a much better leader than I am."

Logan jabbed his thumb towards Storm. "She's the best leader ya' could ever get." Storm got a little bashful.

"I guess I will lead the second team. Now we just need to split up everyone else evenly. I think Thor should come with me and Loki can go with you." Thor smiled like the sun and I snickered.

"Great excuse." She shot daggers at me while Pepper smacked my arm again. "What?!" She shook her head.

Steve agreed with Storm. "Okay so it will be Loki and Riley most likely." He looked over us and took a second to think about it. "What do you think about having Clint and T'Challa with you and Hank too." Storm nodded.

"Then you will have Natasha and Logan. I think Bruce should join you to make it even with the strength part." Steve nodded and motioned us to spread apart. Riley, Loki, Natasha, Bruce and Logan on one side of the room. Storm stood with Thor, Clint, T'Challa, Hank and I. "I think this is fair. Are their any objections?" Most of us all shook our heads. "Okay then, remember which team you're on. Loki, you and I can discuss Hel and what we are to expect tomorrow. Thor, inform Storm of Asgard and Jötunheimr."

Storm smiled and crossed her arms. "Alright, I will inform the Professor and give him a update on everything later tonight as well. I think it has been a long day and we all should get some rest."

We were about to split up when Clint interrupted. "Hold on." We froze and looked at him. "I think Natasha and I should switch sides."

Loki was expressionless while the rest of us we unsure. I looked over him and held his shoulder. "You sure?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Is that alright with you?" He looked straight at Loki but sounded as if he was asking everybody else. Nobody objected so he moved over to stand next to Bruce and Logan while Natasha stood by me.

Steve took a deep breath. "Okay...if nobody has anything else they want to say then I suggest we eat and get some early rest. Good night." Most of us went to the kitchen while a few others went straight for bed. I headed down to the lab and decided to make some quick chest plates that could be adjustable to different sizes. Hopefully it will come in handy for Natasha and T'Challa if needed.

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><p><strong>I told you it would be a long chapter. Sorry it took so long btw. I gotten a new 3DS game and kinda got sucked into it for a while there. Lol! Because there are two stones in Hel and on in Asgard and Jötunheimr, there will be two stories for both Riley and Tony. It will still switch off as expected but it just means that it will make the story even longer than even I expected. I know you expected to see Clint and Loki spar but I'm saving that scene for later. Yes, I know you can call me a bitch all you want but as Loki once said, *clears throat* "I do what I want.". <strong>


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello! I'm going to skip the day they are getting prepared because I just wanna go ahead and head straight to Hel. There will be one chapter on Riley then it will go back to Tony. I hoping that I can get each stone in each chapter, so there will be four all together. (Not including the time when a team is resting back at Avengers Tower). Let's go ahead and jump in!**

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><p>My fingers combed through my hair for the tenth time. I realized that my hair was getting a little longer and probably will be needing a haircut soon. Just a trim, can't standing having long hair. I grabbed Nova that rested next to the bed and softly brushed my fingertip over a leafy tip. The metal warmed under my touch and cooled back down second later. "Yeah...I'm nervous too." The weapon seemed to be reacting to me as a partner, it is comforting in it's own way.<p>

"My Queen." I moved my head over my shoulder to see Loki dressed with his full armor on. The gold on his shoulders and his helmet glistened in the sunlight. I was never a big fan of the color gold but Loki always made it look even more magical. Like he, himself, owned the color.

"Yeah, I'm ready." I walked up to him and smiled. "And would you quit calling me that."

Loki chuckled and cupped the back of my head to kiss my lips. "No." I rolled my eyes and followed him out the door to head for the roof where we were going to meet up with the rest of the team. I decided to wear the cat suit that I had worn before. It felt a little snug but it wasn't going to be a problem. Loki opened the door for me and we walked out together in the crisp morning air. The sun hadn't risen yet so the sky was a little chilly. I loved it. "We are prepared. Are you all ready?" Everyone had arrived to see us off.

Our team nodded in agreement. Steve was dressed in his Captain America uniform with his shield resting on his arm. Bruce wore loose clothing and held a bag over his shoulder. My guess was that it held more clothes for him, which was a very good thing to have for us. Logan dressed in a tight, black outfit that had their X-Men logo. Clint was fully dressed as Hawkeye and was play with his arrows, not bothering to look up.

I turned to Loki and smiled. "We are going to travel through the Bifrost. Is their something we should know about it so we will be more prepared?"

Loki looked up to the sky. "Heimdall might be a little stiff...but he will be kind to you all." I raised a eyebrow but shrugged it off. Loki probably wouldn't tell me about it anyway.

Steve instantly took charge and we all gathered around. "Okay, Loki. Call Heimdall and let's get going." Loki nodded and turned to Thor.

"If Odin asks...tell him the truth. He'll listen to you." Thor gave a sad smile. "Heimdall! Transport us to Hel!" Loki instantly gripped me and Steve who stood next to him. We all held on to each other before a tunnel of wind picked us up with all the colors of the rainbow lighting our way. I clenched my jaw together to keep the scream of terror and excitement from escaping my throat.

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><p>"Riley. Open your eyes." Holy shit. I felt so dizzy but I guess that's what I get for shutting my eyes closed. I blinked my eyes open and was awestricken at the sight in front of me. We were within a deep cavern that had soft rainbow colors that were melting off the black stalagmites and stalactites. Crystal, clear water dripped from the water that landed into pools of silver that shined brighter than Thor's armor. Light green fire hung on the walls that lit up the room, making the shadows dance with each other. The air was just as crisp and cool when were we at the top of Avengers Tower. My tense muscles within my body had relaxed at the easy atmosphere.<p>

"This place...it's amazing!" My words came out as a soft whisper.

Steve was just as awestruck and gave a small chuckle. "It's actually beautiful. For a place for the dead." Clint gave a approving whistle of affecting.

Loki kept his face expressionless but I could see the pride within his eyes. "My daughter may be the queen of Hel but she did always love beautiful things." Logan and Bruce began looking around before we all turned to Loki. He sighed and looked towards a tunnel. "Her throne is this way...I must ask for any of you not to speak unless spoken to. Out of respect for her."

We nodded and I took his hand. "We will follow your lead Loki." Loki allowed himself to smile at me before he marched forward. The ground looked ragged but it was actually smooth to walk across, it reminded me of a illusion. Loki kept at a steady pace and continued down another tunnel.

Bruce examined the pool of silver next to us and went to reach out when Loki pulled him back. "Don't touch that."

Bruce stumbled and adjusted his glasses. "Why? Is it poisoned?" Loki shook his head.

"Hel built this world around her personality. As I said before, she loves beautiful things but that doesn't mean this place is safe." Loki tilted his hand, lifting a small ball of the sliver liquid in the air. He reached over and pulled out one of the shirts Bruce brought and poured the liquid over the sleeve. A nasty hissing sound filled our ears as we watched the brown shirt's sleeve completely dissolve like acid. "This liquid is as hot and powerful as your planet's magma within the center of Migard. Nothing can contain it but these caverns."

Bruce frowned at his ruined shirt and placed it back in the bag. Logan stepped up and crossed his arms, kicking the wall next to him. "What's so special about these walls that keeps that stuff from melting through?"

That was a good question. Loki reached up and softly petted the wall before facing us was a dead serious expression. "These walls were built from the ashes of the most powerful Gods that had fallen in battle." Logan and Clint took a careful step back, eyeing the place like a disease.

Bruce spun in a circle, admiring the place while Steve looked ill. "That's...wow."

I nodded. "That's amazing. That means that your people have been around since the beginning of time. Who knows how many lives have been through here." Loki nodded.

Bruce looked over to a torch that had a green fire that was softly brazing alone. "What about that? How dangerous is the fire here?"

Loki chuckled and grabbed the torch off the wall and turned towards me. "Do you trust me?" I knitted my brows together but nodded. He smirked and grabbed my hand, turning it so my palms were facing upwards. I blinked and watched as he dipped the top of the flame into my hand. My heart raced, expecting a harsh burn but was surprised when it felt as cold as ice.

"Holy crap! That's cold!" Everyone looked at me like I was nuts before eyeing the green fire. Loki let me go and proceeded to wipe off the flames. Yes, he wiped off the flames from the torch. The fire now rested in my hands like a freezing, cold gas that was lighting the small area.

"It's cold?" I nodded at Clint and let him poke at it too.

"This is truly magnificent! I have never seen anything like this before!" Bruce leaned closer and looked up at me. "What does it feel like?"

I swallowed and began squishing the fire in my hands. "It's cold. And soft...much like a solid...gas almost. It's hard to explain. Here." I opened his hands and dropped the green flame. He broke into a large grin and started playing with it.

Logan chuckled and looked around with his arms crossed. "Ya' daughter has a interesting and twisted imagination. Something that should keep people alive would actually kill them and something that should bring pain if touched is actually comforting." Loki and Logan looked at each other. "She'll be interesting to meet."

Clint rubbed the back of his neck. "And deadly..."

Loki chuckled and turned to Bruce. "If you want I'm sure that Hel will be willing to let you take a bit back to study with Stark." Bruce thanked him but his attention was still on the strange fire in his hands. After waiting a few seconds Loki took the torch and jabbed it in the fire before pulling it away and giving it to Bruce to hold. He received a cheeky smile from Bruce that eased the little tension in Loki.

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><p>Steve stood to Loki's left as I stood to his right. "I feel as though we have been walking for a hour now. How much longer before we get to your daughter's throne?" Loki scoffed.<p>

"Time doesn't exist here. We will only reach the throne when she is willing to let us there." My eyes tried blinking the tired away from my eyes but failed as I began to get more tired. "My Queen?"

I stopped and rested Nova by my side. "I'm sorry. I'm just tired." I looked down and saw some spots on the ground that had been scuffed. "Besides. We have been walking in circles." Clint swore under his breath.

Steve, Clint, Logan and Bruce took a look around with scowls on their faces. Steve sighed and wiped his face with his hands. "She's right. this has to be the third time we've been here. Loki?"

Loki casted his gaze to the floor. "I knew it...She hates me." I reached up and gently lifted Loki's face to he could look at me.

"Loki. It was not your fault. I don't hate my parents...disappointed but don't hate." I took a breath of air and rested my head on his shoulder. "Give her some time. Try talking to her here."

There was a short moment of silence that was broken by Loki. "Helena. Please Pet, talk to me. I know...I wasn't there for you and I regret every second of it but I need your help now." Loki's arm held me closer to him. "You can still hate me...but at least help us. Him is coming." We waited for seemed like another hour when the ground around us shifted. It sunk further into the floor until we landed into a different room that shrouded us in darkness. Bruce still had the green flame so it was able to give us a little bit of light but only enough to caress the five of us.

"Loki? What's going on?" He released me and turned away from me to face the darkness. In a swift motion he was on his knees. I didn't understand but didn't hesitate to do the same. Steve, Logan, Clint and Bruce following soon after.

**"It has been far too long...Father." **I kept my head down but I was able to see the flicker of more lights coming on. Soon I could see the ground beneath me. It was a marble mix of silver and gold with a glistening of green crystal shards. I was able to see my reflection. My eyes blinked, getting lost within the design of the marble that I almost missed the figure that was standing behind me. The familiar female corpse stood next to me. I was froze and forced myself to smile. She waved before fading away. **"You may arise."**

I stumble getting up for a second. My eyes lifted to see a young woman sitting upon a black, crystal throne. Her hair was split into two different colors. The right side of her face was smoothed down and was colored in the same sharp, black like Loki. Her left side was a dull purple that looked frail and untamed. Her skin was paler than Loki's, looking almost like she was painted this way. Her lips were full but dull as her hair. Her eyes were bright silver, the only thing about her that seemed alive. She was both beautiful and frightening at the same time. Her dress was only a robe thrown over herself, not caring if she was showing too much of her exposed body. On her head rested a black tiara and had a single white flame that was the cause of the brightness of the room.

Loki stood still and tried to take a step forward. He was shaking and I wanted to hug him tightly but I knew that it would be very bad for me to do that now. Loki need to do this own his own. The woman, who I guessed to be his daughter Hel, slowly rose from the throne. Hel's robe melted and clung to her like a second skin. She took two steps down towards us and spared a glance towards me. I suddenly felt very self-conscious, as if I wasn't special enough to be in her presence. Loki stayed still and swallowed before allowing himself to speak. "Helena...it has been too long indeed." Hel cocked her head to the side and looked over everyone.

"I know why you are here Father. Why now?" Her voice was soft but menacing. It send cold shivers down my back. Loki was unaffected.

"I felt as if I didn't deserve to be here with you...but all life in the Nine Realms is in danger. And that includes you Pet." Hel blinked once and moved to step forward until she stood directly in front of me.

Her chest didn't rise or fall, no heat was coming off from her body. "You must be Riley... Your parents use to speak much about you." My jaw fell and my eyes grew wet.

"Hel! Leave her be!" Hel only smirked and began to circle me froze form. "Helena!"

"When they first arrived they were scared and shocked that their own little girl had killed them." She continued her slow pace. "Then they grew angry...hateful for what you did to them. You killed them! You ended their short lives."

I closed my eyes and felt Nova warming up. "STOP!" I pushed Hel away from me. "It was their fault!... They did that to themselves. I was too young to control myself back then... It is not my fault."

Hel was shocked and them smirked at me. "You're not as weak as you look. I see why father has his eye on you." She sounded bitter at the end. Hel walked back to her throne and sat down. "If you are here to ask me where the two infinity Stones are then you are going to be disappointed."

Steve and the rest stepped up. "And why is that? Won't you help us?" Steve stood straight, oblivious to the suffocating tension in the room.

Hel scoffed and moved so her leg hung off the armrest. "I can tell you were to find one of the stones here...the other is completely hidden to me."

We looked at each other, dread washing over us. Loki sighed, breaking the silence again. "Thank you for your assistance. Where are we to find the one stone?"

Hel twirled a strand of her dull hair between her fingers. "Hmmm...now where was that stone?... I can't seem to remember."

Clint growled. "Lives are at risk here." Hel narrowed her eyes on him.

Loki knelt down and hung his head to the ground. "What is your price Hel?"

She gave us a deadly smirk and cackled a bit. "Now we're getting somewhere." She rolled so her top half of her body hung over the other armrest. "I require release."

I shared glances with the boys before looking expectantly at Loki. He sighed and nodded. "Understand that things have changed though."

"As if I give a damn!" I held back from jumping at her voice. "I just need..._release_." Loki nodded and got up.

"I will speak with the Alfather...Where are we going to find the stone?" Hel hummed and got out of her throne again.

She skipped over to the left side of the room and flicked her wrist. Another tunnel opened up on command. "This will lead you to the river of lost souls. Follow it and you will reach the lake." Hel stepped up and looked at me. "You'll find it there." She turned and we were about to head off when she spoke up again. "Oh yes! Before I forget...don't touch the river or the lake...your soul will forever be sucked into it with no return back to the living." She gave us a cruel smile. "Good luck."

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><p>"She reminds me a lot of you." I smacked Clint upside the head and he looked shocked. "What was that for?!"<p>

I pointed a finger at him and frowned. "Be nice...and behave yourself." He rolled his eyes and Bruce chuckled.

"Hey guys. I think I see the river." Our head looked over to where Steve was pointing at. In the distance was a dark green and brown, mud-like area that stretched down the tunnel.

Loki got closer to it as we followed. It looked more like a marsh than a river but it did move slightly. It was slow, backed up as if there was too much to process. I took a step closer but Loki stopped me. He kicked a small pebble towards it and a large, deformed man jumped up out of the river and launched itself at the pebble before sinking it's way back down. I clamped my hand over my mouth to suppress a shriek.

Steve gasped and took two steps back. "That was horrifying."

Loki nodded. "This river is full of souls throughout the Nine Realms. These souls have too much regret to be able to pass on and make peace with themselves. They have a need to reach out and take living souls to try and ease their need." He faced us and sighed. "In other words, keep a good distance from this river."

Clint shook his head. "Fuck man...this is depressing as hell." Bruce nodded.

I shook off the fear and turned down the tunnel, eyeing the darkness. "Bruce, you may want to get in the middle of us. There doesn't seem to be any light to guide us."

Bruce held up the torch. "Glad we grabbed this earlier."

Loki smirked at Bruce. "Why...are you scared of the dark?"

"I'm not overly found of it, no." I chuckled.

"Neither am I in this case. You're not alone there Bruce." I gave him a reassuring smile and followed Loki down the path the river led. No sounds could be heard and even our footsteps seemed to be muffled. It was as if the tunnel wanted everything to be quiet. My thought had no choice but to start running around. I started thinking about everyone back at the tower and if they were going to be okay, that thought led to me thinking about if they were being attacked at the moment. I began to get really worried. What if they couldn't handle a attack on their own? What if they get captured and killed? What if it was happening right now?

"My Queen, stop thinking." I stopped walking and felt myself breathing heavily. I didn't even realized it. "I know your thoughts are going to try and take control of yourself. Stay focused, all of you."

Logan scratched his chin. "Then we need to talk to each other. The silence won't get to us then."

"Good idea Logan. I can start." Steve spoke up and smiled and we continued walking. "I grew up during the Great Depression. It was very hard and I was very skinny back then since my parents couldn't afford to feed us some days." I felt bad and frowned at him. "I had one friend that always stuck by my side. His name was Bucky."

Bruce moved the torch to his other hand. "Was?..."

Steve nodded. "Yeah...I miss him."

Logan patted his shoulder and was the next to speak up. "I don't remember my past. I know I have lived for many years but it gets a little foggy after ten years or so." He shrugged as if it was nothing to him. "There's this guy out there who is...a lot like me and claims to be my brother. I hate to admit it but I think he's right. He seems to know a lot about me that I didn't even know. Kinda creepy."

I smiled at Logan. "That's not entirely bad...to have a brother." I looked down and rubbed my arm that held Nova. "I killed my parents before I could ever had any siblings. Which you probably already figured out by now."

Bruce looked over to me. "Yeah...do you want to explain a little more of that?"

"Well...I'm a mutant. I had strange powers when I was in kindergarten. I accidently killed...a little boy." I blinked back the tears and continued. "The police took me away and when my parents found out they freaked...and so did I."

Loki rested his hand on my waist. "She caught my interest so I watched over her. She asked me to erase most of those memories so Riley still doesn't remember the details." I smiled up at him and wasn't watching where I was walking. My foot was a little closer to the river and another figure jumped up to reach me. I screamed as Loki pulled me away. Clint jabbed the deformed head with a arrow and pushed it back into the murky river.

I gasped for air and turned to Clint. "Thanks..." He smiled and nodded.

"I grew up in a circus. It was pretty awesome." For some reason we all started laughing and relaxed. Clint tilted his head to Loki. "So, we've heard Thor's story. What's yours?"

Loki smirked and started walking again. "Well for starters I am a Frost Giant and was found by Odin, abandoned by Laufey...my birth father. I grew up thinking I was Thor's younger brother. He was the golden child while I stayed in the library, reading and practicing my magic. My mother loved me as if I was her own and never treated me differently." Loki looked back at us and gave a short shrug. "Basically whatever Thor said is most likely true. He was never a good liar anyway."

Logan chuckled. "But ya' are the God of Mischief right? Ya' probably got interesting stories to tell."

Loki actually gave a nice laugh. "I do actually. Would you all like to hear the time I gave birth to my eight-legged son Sleipnir?"

Steve pointed his finger and gave a nervous smile and chuckle. "That did not actually happen...right?"

Loki smirked and winked at Steve. The poor guy instantly turn crimson. "Yes I did." I rolled my eyes and nudged Loki with my elbow. "I named him Sleipnir because it means "slippery" in Norse and when he was born he had the hardest time trying to walk. With all of those legs he kept tripping over himself. He's a brilliant mare now. Then there is Fenrir my beautiful wolf pup. He had the biggest, bright green eyes that always made my heart melt to see."

Loki talked about all of his children. Sleipnir, Fenrir, Jormungandr, the twins Narfi and Nari, and Hel. The boys were very interested in listening to Loki talk about his days with his children before Odin took them away. Calling them monsters and such. It broke Loki and I faintly remember studying Hel and her kingdom when I was younger. Loki became reserved for the rest of the day and looked as if he was about to break into tears any second. Now he looks stronger but the scars still remained.

"So why are they no longer with you?" Logan was brave to ask that.

Loki stopped and sighed. "Alfather believes that my children are monsters and a threat to the Nine Realms."

"What?! He doesn't really believe that." Steve was stunned.

Loki nodded. "Yes. Odin took Hel away from me when she was still a baby. Fenrir was banished into a void. Jormungandr was sent to Migard. Narfi and Nari..." He closed his eyes and shook his head. I lifted my hand to caress his face softly. Loki sucked in a deep breath of air. "And Sleipnir is now Odin's official steed to ride into battles, locked up all day when he should be running around freely."

"That's fucked up." Bruce agreed with Clint.

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><p>Bruce and Steve began telling stories of their childhood to try and lighten up the mood. Clint mentioned how he would sometimes get stuck with cleaning up after the animals and swore he saw a piece of a human arm one day. We got a good chuckle out of that and a few feet later we reached a opening. The murky river was turned into a waterfall that fell heavily down into a black swamp of souls. It was eerie and quiet again, nobody knowing really what to do or say.<p>

Clint stepped up and scrunched up his face. "Gross. Didn't Hel say that you would know where to find it." I raised a eyebrow at him. "Or something like that?" I thought back and remembered that Hel did say something like that.

"Yeah..." I looked into the darkness and didn't see anything that would catch my attention. "I'm not finding anything that can help. Loki?"

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "We need to have a closer look." I took three steps forward until I was almost at the edge of the drop. My eyes looked down to the swamp of souls and saw a faint color of red.

"Guys." They came up and looked at where I was pointing. "I think I found Power."

Logan swore loudly. "Are ya' fucking kidding me?! Is it in the lake?!"

Loki shook his head. "No. There is a stone slab that its resting on. But it's directly in the middle of the lake." He turned to face us. "Any of you have a plan on how to cross the lake, without crossing the lake?"

I pondered on it for a second but was coming up with nothing. If we got too close the souls would get us. The lake was too big for us to jump over. We were really stuck. Clint was looking up to the ceiling and tapped his foot. "Hey Loki. Do you think I can shoot a arrow into this cave?"

Loki tilted his head to the side. "These walls are not indestructible. Just different, so yes it's possible. What do you have in mind?"

Clint pulled out his bow and a thick arrow. "I can aim this into the ceiling and lower someone down so they could gab it. Riley is the smallest." Loki frowned.

"That's good to have...but will it hold?"

Clint smirked. "It can hold Natasha and I."

Steve came up and took a look around. "It's risky, too risky. I'm not willing to risk Riley and I highly doubt Loki is any more up for this than she is."

"I'm right here." Their head snapped at me. "We need to get this stone. I can do it." Nobody looked happy at the moment. "We can't just give up. Not when a stone is right there!"

Bruce sighed. "She's right. We can't risk Him getting here. He would be willing to risk anyone to get that stone. How are we going to do this Clint?"

Clint pointed the tip of the arrow to the ceiling and lined it down to where the stone was. "If I aim this right I can launch this into the ceiling and lower Riley down to grab it."

Steve held up a hand. "But how are we going to get her back here? She would be just dangling there." Damn! Steve was right.

Clint looked over to Loki. "Dude. You have magic. Use it."

Loki fell silent and cased his gaze to the ground. "Alas...my powers have weakened here."

"What?!" My eyes grew wide. "Why? You just got them back and you were just using it with the hot liquid earlier!"

He chuckled. "Yes but the energy and aura within Hel is slowly draining me. It won't be permanent, but it is a pain. That was little compared to moving a full person."

"Damn." I kicked a small rock down into the lake. A wave of souls rose up and splashed down harshly. "Interesting waves."

Logan scoffed. "Reminds me of riding the waves back at the mansion. We have a couple of kids that can manipulate the water so kids would take turns surfing in the pool."

Steve turned to Logan. "Surfing? In a pool?"

Logan smirked. "Yep."

My eyes lowered down to looked at Steve's shield. "Surfing...that could work."

"What?" Loki's eyes went wide and I held up my hand.

"Hear me out." I pointed to the ceiling. "Clint's shoots an arrow there. I use Steve's shield and lower myself down with a slight push. I surf over them so the souls don't touch me and I can grab Power. With the momentum I should be able to throw myself high enough for you guys to grab the cord and pull me in."

Loki shook his head. "No. That's pushing my limits. I'm not letting you do that."

Logan placed a hand against Loki's chest. "Ya' gotta let go and trust Bub. If she says she can do it, then she can do it."

Loki looked over the lake and balled his hands into tight fists. "Alright...be safe My Queen."

"I will."

Clint aimed his bow and used time to make a perfect shot before he released his fingers. The arrow flew through the air and stuck into the ceiling. "Got it!" He turned and tied the cord around my waist as tightly as he could make it. Steve came over and handed his shield over to me.

I turned to Loki and gave him Nova to hold. "Here, keep her safe for me." He nodded. My right hand lowered the shield to my feet while my left hand gripped the cord. "Here goes nothing." I pushed off the edge before I could give myself another second to think about it. My hand slid the shield onto my foot so it could wrap under the handles. I was falling fast and the soul were coming at me, a wave of deformed faces coming at me. I lifted my feet and pushed them off with the shield and landed over the lake, sliding around.

I broke into a full grin and began surfing through the souls. The boys were cheering me on as I looked over where Power rested. My foot angled the shield to the side so I could turn in and get closer to the rock slab. When I was getting closer I reached out with my left hand and tried to grab it. I was a few inches off and couldn't get close enough. "You can do this Riley!" Their cheering helped me push up the large wave of souls so I could get more momentum. I went back down and surfed the souls, heading for the slab again. I was much closer but it was still not enough.

"Damn it!" I was getting really pissed off. As I was going back up I felt the cord jerk slightly. I blinked and looked up. the arrow was slowly breaking from the ceiling. I didn't have much time left. "Oh shit. Guys!" They noticed and called out for me to get back up to them. I couldn't yet. I pushed down the waves one more time and reached out as far as I could. The slab was getting closer and I used my index and middle finger to swipe Power. "Yes!" I held it close to me and carefully placed it down my cleavage as I headed up another wave of souls. I gave the boys a thumbs up as the cord snapped, a chunk of the ceiling falling in front of me. In less than a millisecond, the boy's reaction turned from excitement to complete terror.

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><p><strong>Man I'm so evil! Muhahahahaha! Will Riley survive?!...Probably. Anyway, thanks for the reviews and I hope you really liked this chapter. I was pretty impressed with it myself. The next chapter will not continue with Riley. It will be with Tony so ya'll have to wait. Muahahahahaha! You can't hate me all you want! I enjoy every second of it. Until next time!~<strong>


	19. Chapter 19

**Yep! A early update. Let's have three cheers for the author! Hip-hip...okay over it. I think I forgot to mention in the last chapter that these chapters that will go back to the team that stays at the tower will be shorter. Stupid me I know. Lol. I know some of you were NOT happy with the ending a the last chapter and I am NOT sorry for it. Hehe!~**

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><p>I rubbed my dry eyes and looked back up the sky. "Damn. That was even more wicked than the first time I seen that." Riley and her team had just left to Hel. I was wishing them the best luck and hoped they would be alright. The sky began to get brighter as the golden ball of fire rose in the distance. "Fuck that...I'm going back to bed." Everyone agreed and we headed back into the tower and our separate rooms. Just as I reached my room Thor stopped me.<p>

"Friend Stark. We have much to discuss on our travels when my brother and the rest get back." I blinked at him and nodded numbly.

"Whatever you say Point Break. I'm getting more sleep." I waved him off and slipped into my room before I could get stopped again. I slept like shit, tossing and turning. Dreaming about a dark world and a purple beast-like man yelling at me. What is it with the color purple? I mean seriously! Red is such a better color anyway. "I need sleep." I mumbled to myself and jumped on my bed. I had a lot to plan today and I was going to get as much sleep as I possibly could before someone would eventually drag me out of bed. Most likely Pepper, not that I would mind. It was nice to have her back.

My eyes closed and sleep finally came to me and I was thrown into a deep dream. I was falling down without my suit, but I wasn't scared. I...was expecting it? Maybe. The water color sky was blending together as I was falling faster and faster until I finally reached a halt. My body hovered over the ground with my eyes glued to the sky, unable to move. "Aren't you a cute one! Can I keep him?!" A young boy ran past me. He had black hair and bright blue-green eyes. "Oh please, Mother? I promise I will take good care of it!"

A shadow of a woman with a halo of gold stood next to me. "I'm afraid not dear. Come on now, we must get going."

"Okay Mother..." The shadow walked off and the boy followed close by. Once they were out of sight I finally fell to the ground.

I groaned at the feel of rocks biting at the skin of my back. "Where am I?" I pushed myself up and found that I was not wearing any clothes. "Wha?... Okay what's going on here? I was suppose to do something..."

"What was that something?" I jumped at the high pitched voice that spoke at my side. My eyes darted around but I couldn't see anyone but a damn meadow of bright flowers around me. "Hehe! No silly! I'm up here."

My head snapped up to see a fucking pixy fluttering above me. "What the actual fuck?"

She giggled and poke my nose with her finger. "Be nice! This is a dream!"

I raised a eyebrow and took a step back before remembering that I wasn't wearing any closes so I made a effort to try and cover myself. "Even if this was a dream, what kind of person has a dream like this?! I usually have nightmares anyway!"

The pixy rolled her eyes and flew around me. "Well it is!" She stopped and snapped her fingers. The pixy transformed into a average sized woman and winked at me. "It's your fault you keep having nightmares. Don't blame me."

My brows knitted together. "What the hell are you talking about? I never asked to have nightmare, who would?" She shook her head at me.

"Anthony, you are so use to your nightmares that you make them appear. You even freaked out just now when you weren't having a nightmare." She crossed her arms at me. "It's your choice."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "I believe there is a saying out there, "Easier said than done" but why now of all times."

She giggled, which reminded me of Pepper. "You have been so preoccupied with everything else around you that you forgot about having nightmares."

"But I had one last night!" I argued.

She shook her head. "What was it about?"

I stopped because I couldn't really remember. "Okay...so maybe I didn't. But why did I have trouble sleeping then?"

The woman pointed off in the distance and the man I had dreamt about appeared. "This is Him. He contacted you last night while you slept. He won't be able to do this again so do not fret."

"Why was he trying to get to me?" I stepped up to the figure and frowned when he was a whole head taller than me.

"Him was trying to get some information out of you. He failed miserably because your mind was too rushed to catch anything." Him disappeared. "He won't try it again but this just means that he is that much stronger than you all thought. Be safe." She winked and punched me.

* * *

><p>I jumped and fell off the bed. I thought for a second that she actually punched me but I remembered that it was all a dream. I rubbed my face and let out a loud sigh. My eyes looked over to my phone to check the time. "It's 9:24?!" I didn't think I slept that long. It was barely after five when Riley left. "Alrighty then! Time to get up."<p>

_"Good morning, Sir. Miss Potts has breakfast ready for you down stairs." _

"Thanks JARVIS!" I changed my clothes and headed down the elevator and soon reached the kitchen. Hank and Storm were talking to themselves while Thor was munching down on Pop Tarts while watching the two. "Thunderbutt, I might as well by the Pop Tart's company at this rate!"

He smiled at me with a mouth full of wild berry Pop Tarts. "I would be most grateful friend Stark!" I chuckled, patted his shoulder and went into the kitchen. Pepper was sipping on some coffee and looked at me over the rim of her mug.

"Tony? You're up." I gave her a cocky smile and instantly went for the plate of food next to her. Pepper smacked my hand away. "Not yours."

I frowned. "What?" Pepper smirked and opened the microwave, pulling out a larger plate of sausage, pancakes, eggs and bacon. "You're the best!" I grabbed it from her and pecked her cheek before hightailing out of there and into the living room. "Woo hoo! Food!" I was still warm and tasted great.

"It is good to see you up early, my friend." I looked up and waved at T'Challa. He chuckled and shook his head before sitting next to me on the couch. "Thor has told me about the world we will be traveling to in due time."

I swallowed and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. "Yep, what of it?" I took a large bite of the buttery pancake again.

"Well, Asgard sounds like a marvelous place to venture..." I raised a eyebrow and stopped chewing. T'Challa sighed and scratched his neck. "I do not favor the cold my friend."

I finished what was in my mouth and waited a second. "Yeah...I'm not a big fan of having ice cubes coming out of my nose." I involuntarily rubbed my nose at the thought. "But I already thought of that. We need to patrol the city so while we're at it we might as well go shopping."

T'Challa looked at me with his eyebrows hiding in his hairline. "Shopping?... Very well." I laughed and gave him a strong shoulder hug.

"It's not as bad as it sounds."

"He's right. Shopping is fun!" We both turned around to see Storm and Natasha smiling at us with mischief in their eyes. They must be taking lessons from Loki! Crap! Abort mission!

"Well, for people like us who are not so comfortable to the cold will go. You ladies don't have to go." I chuckled and tried to wave them off.

Pepper walked in the room and looked at me funny. "What's going on?"

Before I could answer Natasha beat me to it. Damn her! "We're going shopping today. All of us, you should join too." Of course Pepper instantly beamed.

"Oh! That sounds like so much fun! It has been forever since I had fun with a group of girls." And I instantly deflated. "I'm going to get ready!"

T'Challa turned to me with revenge in his eyes. "Oh...what fun." His sarcastic attitude only made the two girls chuckle.

Storm came up and patted the top of our heads like we were kids. "We will be getting only what we need."

I relaxed and smiled. "Great!"

* * *

><p>"I thought you said you would be grabbing only what you needed!" I started ripping out my hair. We got to the mall an hour before lunch and now it was already three in the afternoon. Us guys already bought the coats we needed...but the girls insisted on going through every store! We went through six different clothing stores, three perfume stands, four shoe shops, and two makeup parlors. I mean, COME ON! "This is ridiculous! We're dying over here, especially Hank!" He was big and offered to hold most of the bags.<p>

Pepper rolled her eyes at me as we passed a game store. I won't mind going there but noooooo! Can't even give it a second glance. "We are girls Tony. We need everything."

Natasha smirked at us and stopped Storm and Pepper outside of Victoria's Secret. "Okay. I don't mind shopping here."

I tried walking in but Storm stopped me. "Just us three. You four can wait for us." Well that was a mood killer.

"Fine..." We all sat down on the benches and dropped the bags of women stuff to the floor. Hank chuckled and rubbed his arms. We were unsure if we should bring him but I thought it would be good to get the guy out. It wasn't so bad so far. He was a very kind guy, opening doors for others and moving out of the way so people could pass him. Every once in a while he would get strange stares but people mostly just smiled and ignored the giant, blue beast walking around while holding women's shopping bags. "How are you doing there Hank?"

He smiled gently at me. "I am fine, thank you for asking." Thor sighed and frowned at the store the girls were in.

"What would make them spend so much time here?" I smirked and leaned on him to whisper in his ear.

"This store had these magical clothes that women wear to have sex with us." His eyes went wide with new appreciation for Victoria's Secret.

T'Challa shook his head and rubbed his eye lids. "This is still torture. I don't even shop for food."

Hank patted T'Challa's back. "It's not so bad. It keeps them entertained for a while." That was a interesting way to look at it. We all chuckled as a group of girls were passing by. One glanced at us and suddenly tripped over one of the bags, falling flat on her face. I was busy trying not to laugh while Hank helped her out instantaneously. "My deepest apologies! I did not think someone would get hurt."

The girl was a simple brunette with dark brown eyes. She wore a light blue shirt and dark jeans. Her friends were helping her out and were a little intimidated by Hank. The girl saw him and instantly froze. Hank gave a nervous chuckle and offered her his hand. We all expected her to freak out and jump back. Surprisingly she took it without question and smiled. "Thank you."

Hank's cheeks turned purple and his eyes followed the girl as she walked off with her friends, waving at him as she went. When Hank sat down I whistled and crossed my arms. "Smooth moves there." He smack the back of my head which made me fall to the floor. Can this be over already?

* * *

><p>Thor growled, throwing the bags he carried onto the floor. "I wish to never explore in this shopping trip ever again! I rather fight my way through the Chitauri with my bare hands!" I laughed and felt bad for the poor guy.<p>

"It's not usually that bad. We had to spend the whole day because I had the money to do so." I fell on the couch with Hank sitting carefully in a chair. "Most girls would only shop for a few hours because they don't have much to spend."

Natasha and Storm came into the room, wearing some of the new clothes they got. Natasha shook her heads at us while Storm smiled softly. "If it makes you all feel better, I ordered Shawarma. It should be here any minute."

I hung my head over the armrest and pumped my fist into the air. "Yes! Shawarma! Good call there Hurricane!" I couldn't see her face but I guess that she didn't like my nick name for her since a small raincloud appeared over my head. "Wow! Hold on there-!" I was instantly wet, nope wrong word. I was soaked!

"Hahaha! My name is Storm, you will do well to remember it next time. I learned that electricity and water don't mix well." I bobbled my head up and down. My feet ran up to the elevator so I could get changed into some dry clothes. As I shut the door I froze. I swore I heard Riley screaming faintly. It rang in my ears and my heart swelled up at the sudden sound. I felt as if I was breaking instantly.

"JARVIS? Do you have Riley's reading?" I asked with a bit of rush to my voice. I stayed still and waited for him to scan the area.

_"Miss Janssen in not present Sir. Is something wrong?" _I blinked a few times and shook my head.

"No...thanks JARVIS." My fingers combed through my wet hair as I tried to understand what had just happened. I know I heard Riley screamed, nothing that I had heard before so it had to be real. "That's freaky." I grabbed a towel and took off my clothes so I could dry myself off before putting on new clothes. By the time I was done I was still a little damp but it was bearable. I threw on some sweats and a baggy tee-shirt before making my way back to the others.

Natasha smirked at me and pulled me towards the door. "There you are. Pay the man." A middle aged man looked at me bored and showed me the price. It wasn't anything to sweat over and threw a few hundreds at him. He smiled and nodded his head before leaving. "Alright, let's eat." We gathered around the table and began macking down on the food and drinks. We were silent for a moment before T'Challa spoke to Thor.

"I understand that Steve and the others are to be gone a while but...when do you think they will return?" We looked at Thor, waiting for him to give us some good news.

He shrugged his shoulders and wiped his mouth. "Who knows. Time doesn't exist in Hel. They could be there for years and it would only be a week here."

"What?" We all spoke at once.

Thor raised a eyebrow. "This is why my brother wanted to get this trip over with as quickly as possible. His daughter is a mischief as he is, if not more. Hel is under her command, she controls everything there."

I scratched my head. "And that includes time?" He nodded. Hank was stumped. T'Challa looked nervous as I was. Natasha and Storm were uncertain.

"If I didn't think they would not succeed in there mission I would not allow them to go there. Have faith in our friends and my brother." Thor shoved half of his Shawarma in his mouth and chewed happily.

Storm sipped her water and smiled. "Thor's right. We know how strong they are. We need to have trust in that they will come back to us." My eyes looked down to my lap. I remembered hearing Riley's scream only minutes ago. Was I hearing Riley really screaming?

"Tony?" I looked up to see Pepper just walking in. "Are you feeling well?"

"No..." Everyone had their attention on me. "After today I don't think I can see another price tag again! I'm going to faint." I rocked my chair back but it was too much and I ended up falling back to the floor.

"You dumbass." I ignored the giggles and Natasha while I got up, tending to my wounded pride.

"Well then, I'm going to need you to sign some paperwork tonight." Man this day sucks!

"Yes Pepper..." She gave me a giggle and kissed my temple before grabbing a drink and walking off. "I hate paperwork."

Hank smiled. "I can help if you want." I gave Hank a bright smile.

"That would be awesome if you could!" We all went back to eating our food and occasionally talking but my mind kept going back to Riley. I know that I heard her scream...but why was the question. How, would be a better question but I was more concerned as to why she would be screaming in the first place.

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><p><strong>Just a simple chapter. That is all...now you won't have to wait a eternity for Riley's chapter to come around. Later ya'll!<strong>


	20. Chapter 20

**Hello! Another new update, and so soon too! Thanks for your comments everyone! I'm going to warn you that this chapter will be slightly depressing and have ridiculous singing. I had to add that for shit and giggles. I hope you enjoy it.**

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><p>I screamed, actually more like shrieked, at the top of mu lungs. My hands gripped the cord as I came falling down to the wave of souls below me. Everything fell into slow motion. I was too scared to do anything while Hel's words kept ringing through my ears. If I fall now it was all over. My eyes closed shut. My body trembled in fear. A loud roar broke my trance and made me turn to see what was wrong. I saw Bruce shifting into Hulk and reaching out for me. Hulk grabbed my foot with his hands and began pulling me back. I had began to laugh nervously and was silenced when I was stuck. Hulk was trying his best to pull me without hurting me but he couldn't. I looked down and saw that the piece of the ceiling was being grabbed by the lake of souls, being pulled in. "Uh oh." The souls started slowly grabbing the cord and climbing up. "Guys!"<p>

Loki, Steve and Clint were trying to help Hulk. They gripped my legs to try and pull me in but they weren't getting far. Logan released his claws and began to slowly cut the wire around my waste. Loki growled. "Cut it faster!"

"If I cut too fast she'll launch and fall in anyway!" The souls were getting closer, moaning and screaming at me.

I was disgusted and tried to untie the cord but it was too tight. "RiLEy!...WHy dId yoU Do tHIs tO US?!" My eyes looked at the deformed soul in front of me. There was two souls molded together, a man and a woman. I didn't move as I stared deep into their black eyes. "YoU Killed uS!"

I was broken. "Mom?... Dad?..." The moaned and reached for me as the cord finally snapped. I was sent flying back as the souls fell back to the lake. The next thing I knew I was staring up at the ceiling, holding my breath to be sure I was still alive. When I couldn't take anymore I sucked in as much air as I possibly could. Loki was hovering over me with small tears in his eyes. He was yelling at me but I couldn't hear him, everything was silent to me. Clint and Logan stood over me too, checking my pulse and feeling my face. I brushed them off and covered my face in my hands. "They...were my parents..."

I couldn't see anyone but I knew they backed off. When I calmed myself down I got up and looked down at my hands. I was still shaking but it wasn't too bad. "My Queen?" I lifted my eyes to see Loki was crying, holding back from launching himself at me. I chuckled and opened my arms for him. He pulled me into his lap and we both silently sobbed together. I had never been so scared in my life and I nearly burned alive and fought off a alien army.

"Are ya' both going to be okay?" My head moved from Loki's shoulder to look at the others. Bruce had shifted back now and was wearing new clothes. Steve looked as if he was going to cry too. Clint looked a little guilty and kept his gaze on the ground. Logan stared at me, waiting for a response but I could tell he was scared too.

I swallowed the hard lump in my throat before speaking. "Yeah..." My throat was a little scratchy so my voice came out horse. I pulled back from Loki and looked down my exposed cleavage. I reached down, noticing the blush on Loki's face, and pulled out Power. It shined like a strong red. Brighter than Tony's suit. "I got Power."

Everyone crowed around and took a look. It was bigger than what I was expecting, nearly covering half of my hand. Bruce knelt down and checked it out. "Wow."

I smiled and pulled him closer to me before planting a small kiss to his cheek. "Thank you. All of you." They smiled and Loki pulled me for one tight hug.

"I'm so sorry." I got up and hugged Clint. We never been very close. Just simple friends. But I felt the need to comfort him.

"Don't do this to yourself. I'm fine now." He patted my back. Logan frowned and crossed his arms. "What? You want a hug too?"

He waited a second before nodding too. I went over to him and hugged him tightly. "Ya' had me really worried."

"Sorry. Hehe."

* * *

><p>I looked over the ledge again with Loki's arm tight wrapped around my waist. It was the first time I had saw my parents, and now I knew what they had become. I hated myself, even though I knew better. One last single tear fell from my eye and fell to the souls. "Mom, Dad... I'm sorry. Please forgive me." Loki kissed the back of my head and handed me Nova. "Hey there. Miss you." My other hand held Power and now I had Nova with me again. "Let's get going. This place is giving me nightmares."<p>

I tried joking around and all I got was a few heads shaking. I guess it was too soon but it was my ass on the line so I should at least try to lighten the mood. We began going back the way we came, following the river and keeping a even farther distance this time now. Bruce was still between us and held his torch in the air. The silence was getting to me again and I had to stop and think about something to say. "Can anybody sing?"

I looked at Clint like he was nuts. "Huh?" He shrugged his shoulders.

"I could use a good song right about now." Steve shook his head and Logan laughed.

"Nope. Can't sing, don't even want to try." I looked up to Loki and he frowned.

"Don't look at me. I don't sing either." He smirked. "You're a woman. Why don't you sing?"

I scratched the back of my head and frowned. "I've never been that good at singing. I can draw but singing is kind of a no-no."

That got a chuckle. Bruce smiled at me. "Anything is better than nothing."

I pointed a finger at him with a serious face. "You're going to regret that." He rolled his eyes and waved his hand at me. I began to think of some of the songs I knew. I never really learned lyrics to songs, never needed to. There was one song that I heard and reminded me of Loki. It was a Disney song and I had only heard it only a handful of times. "...The snow glows white on the mountain tonight. Not a footprint to be seen. A kingdom of isolation, and it looks like I'm the queen." I caught everybody's attention by now as I tried to remember how the song went. "The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside... Couldn't keep it in. Heaven knows I tried." I smiled and raised my voice a little higher.

"Don't let them in, don't let them see.

Be the good girl you always have to be.

Conceal, don't feel. Don't let them know.

Well now they know!" I twirled my wrists as I continued singing.

"Let it go! Let it go!

Can't hold it back anymore.

Let it go! Let it go!

Turn away and slam the door.

I don't care what they're going to say.

Let the storm rage on...

The cold never bothered me anyway." Loki smiled and I skipped to the front of the group. "It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small. And the fears that once controlled me can't get to me at all. It's time to see what I can do. To test the limits and break through. No right, no wrong, no rules for me. I'm free!" I spun and sang again.

"Let it go! Let it go!

I am one with the wind and sky.

Let it go! Let it go!

You'll never seem me cry.

Here I stand and here I stay!

Let the storm rage on..." I danced in a circle and jumped a few times. Nova was humming with me in my hand, making me feel warm with this cold song. "My power flurries through the air and into the ground! My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around! And one thought crystalizes like an icy blast! I'm never going back...the past is in the past!" A thought of my parents popped up briefly before I pushed it all away.

"Let it go! Let it go!

And I'll rise like the break of dawn.

Let it go! Let it go!

That perfect girl is gone.

Here I stand in the light of day!

Let the storm rage on!...

The cold never bothered me anyway."

I signed of with a little tip and wink to Loki. They all clapped and laughed with me. All tension and negative feelings had dissipate now. It felt good. Clint kept clapping into a strange rhythm that was beginning to be very catchy. Clap clap, clap-clap-clap, clap clap, clap-clap-clap. The he started humming a low tune. Logan seemed to know what Clint was doing since he began doing they same.

Clint smirked at me and opened his mouth. "Be careful making wishes in the dark-dark. Can't be sure when they've hit their-mark. And besides in the mean time, I'm just dreaming of tearing you apart." He was singing now! "I'm in the detail with the-devil. So now the world can never get me on my-level. I just gotta get you out of the cage. I'm a young lover's rage, gonna need a spark to ignite. My songs know what you did in the dark..." I was starting to really like this song. Clint and Logan both began singing the next part.

"So light 'em up-up-up, light 'em up-up-up, light 'em up-up-up.

I'm on fire!

So light 'em up-up-up, light 'em up-up-up, light 'em up-up-up.

I'm on fire!"

They began "woaing" together loudly, almost like a howl. "In the dark-dark... In the dark-dark. All the writers keep writing what they-write. Somewhere another pretty veins just-dies. I've got the scars from tomorrow and I wish you could see that you're the antidote to everything except to me. A constellation of tears on your-lashes. Burn everything you love then burn the-ashes. In the end everything collides. My childhood spat back the monster that you see. My songs know what you did in the dark!" We all got together and began singing now.

"So light 'em up-up-up, light 'em up-up-up, light 'em up-up-up.

I'm on fire!

So light 'em up-up-up, light 'em up-up-up, light 'em up-up-up.

I'm on fire!" We all were "woaing" together. "In the dark-dark...in the dark-dark." Clint and Logan began clapping again and I tried my best to follow the beat with them. Except for Bruce who was patting his leg and tapping his foot with the beat. "My songs know what you did in the dark..." Logan echoed Clint and they both suddenly stopped before starting up again.

"So light 'em up-up-up, light 'em up-up-up, light 'em up-up-up.

I'm on fire!

So light 'em up-up-up, light 'em up-up-up, light 'em up-up-up.

I'm on fire!" We "woaed" again as Clint and Logan finished of the song. "In the dark-dark...in the dark-dark!" Once they were done I laughed and slimed brightly.

"I want to sing that one again!" They shrugged their shoulder and instantly began clapping again.

* * *

><p>We had just finished singing that song again when I bumped into a wall. I looked up and noticed that we reached a dead-end. "Loki? Where is the exit?" He stepped up to me and placed his hands against the wall.<p>

"Helena, my Pet. We've returned. Please open the passage." Loki and I stepped back as the wall opened in front of us to reveal Hel's throne room. Hel sat down with her arms crossed, glaring at me darkly. We walked in and copied Loki when he knelt in front of her again. "Where do we need to go to find the other Infinity Stone."

Hel crossed her arms like a child. "I don't know!" I frowned and bit my lip from speaking what my mind wanted to say. My eyes stayed glued to the floor, looking over the specks of green in the floor.

"Don't you dare lie to me. I'm your father and you will treat me with respect." She growled and tuned away from us.

"This is my kingdom! I do what I want!" Power glowed in my hand and my anger was getting the best of me. Loki continued to argue with Hel while the rest of us stayed still and silent. "Go away!"

"I'm not leaving!" I felt Space wanting to protect Loki suddenly. Power wanted to take control of the situation to the point where I couldn't hold back anymore. "We need the stone!"

I stepped up and growled at Hel. She snapped her attention towards me and pointed a finger. "And you! You were suppose to die! Why can't you do anything right!"

My right hand gripped Nova harder as I launched it at Hel. She was surprised and jumped out of the way as I destroyed her throne. Large pieces of the black crystal were scattered across the floor. I walked forward to retrieve Nova and stopped when a piece of the crystal caught my eye. A small speck of yellow was within the black crystal, as if someone was trying to hid it. "Riley? What's wrong?"

I didn't answer Steve and brought Nova down on the piece, shattering it even more. "No! Stay away!" I picked up the yellow stone, Reality.

"Reality...I'm now in possession of three Infinity Stones." I placed it between my breasts and walked over to Hel with Nova in my hands. When I stepped in front of her I held Nova against her neck, a sharp end point dangerously at her artery.

"My Queen! Please don't, she's my only little girl!" Loki pleaded with me which made me roll my eyes.

"I'm not going to hurt her." I looked at Hel and narrowed my eyes on her. "This is how you were able to control your kingdom. Even you had to abide to the laws of physics. But with the Infinity Stone, Reality. You took it to the next level and tried to kill me by making the ceiling fall. It wasn't Clint's fault at all."

Clint released a breath of air and looked a little better. Loki, however, looked very pissed off. "How dare you! You tried taking away my beloved? For what purpose?!"

Hel had a single tear roll down her cheek. "I-I...just wanted my daddy back..." I pulled back, my anger disappearing. Loki frowned and stepped up to her. Hel wiped away the tear and sniffled a bit. "I hadn't seen you since the day you let me go. And then I see you with...with her. All of your attention, love was on her!"

Loki pulled her into a hug and petted her head. "Helena, my Pet. You were ripped from my arms along with your brothers. I was banished from seeing you and after some time I thought you wouldn't want to see me anyways." She shook her head and clung onto Loki like her life depended on it.

"I just wanted to see you again Daddy." They held each other, savoring each other's embrace before Hel finally pulled back. "I'm sorry...do you think...I can come to visit you in Migard?"

Loki smiled and cupped her cheek, pressing a cute kiss to both of her cheeks. "I would destroy worlds if it meant to spend a hour with you." Nobody made a single comment on that. Loki turned to me and Steve. "May she come with us?"

I blinked and looked at Steve, the poor guy was nearly in tears again. "Who am I to keep a father away from his only daughter?"

Loki looked at me and I chuckled. "I couldn't have said it any better myself. Of course she can come." Hel brightened up and ran towards me, hugging me just as tightly.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" I laughed and hugged her back. She looked and me and became nervous. "I'm...sorry."

"It's okay, forgive and forget?" She smiled and rubbed her upper arms.

"Forget what?" I laughed and patted her shoulder. Hel blinked and jumped up. "Oh my gosh! I nearly forgot!" She ran off, past her broken throne, and screamed. "Fenrir! Get your lazy ass here!"

Loki's eyes widen. "Fenrir?... He's here too?!" Hel nodded.

"Yeah, I found him years ago. He visits now and again. He was just about to leave when you got back." She turned back and yelled again. "Fenrir! Daddy's here!" The ground below us started to shake so I gripped Steve's shoulders to keep myself steady. The ground shook more and more until I noticed a large, black ball of fur come running in. "Fenrir! Careful!"

Fenrir yipped and slipped on the crystal pieces, sliding on the floor and landing in the middle of the room. It was quiet a sight to see. Loki's jaw dropped at the sight of the wolf that was the size of a Dodge SUV. His eyes were green like Loki's, his fur matching the same shade of Loki's hair as well. Fenrir sat up and licked Loki's face with his long tongue. Loki laughed and jumped forward to hug and nuzzle his chest. "Fenrir!...My son! I missed you so!" Fenrir howled and hugged Loki back. Hel didn't hesitate to jump in and join in with them.

Logan sighed and adjust himself. "As much as important your family reunion is. I think we should be heading back now." I agreed.

Loki laughed and pulled back. "My apologies, we should be getting back. All of us."

Clint pointed a finger at Fenrir. "I'm not so sure he can fit IN the tower." Loki chuckled and nodded.

"Good point. When we get back my magic should come back to normal and I can shrink him down a bit. Would you be okay with that, Fenrir?" He panted and licked Loki's face. "Very well then! Let's head off back to the entrance."

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><p>Hel opened up a tunnel that led directly to the place where we landed. It was apparently the place where all evil souls so to forever search through this labyrinth, trying to find their way out with no hope. Kinda scary when you truly think about it. These souls were transparent so we couldn't see them and they couldn't see us. There was one we saw, a simple outline of a very fat man who was stumbling down the tunnel next to us.<p>

"So these souls just keep running alone? With no purpose?" Bruce asked Hel.

"Yes. Do not have sympathy for these souls. These people were true monsters. Kill the innocent for fun. Raping women and children. Abusing everyone and everything around them. They deserve this." I was not going to question her judgment. Bruce asked earlier about the fire and she giggled and hung on his arm, and still is. Hel told him that he could keep it if it made him so happy. "Riley?"

I glanced over to Hel. "Yes?"

She swallowed and glanced over to Fenrir before facing me again. "I know that Father loves you dearly but...do we have to call you mother?" I laughed and shook my head.

"Oh no! I'm not going to make you call me anything. If it makes you uncomfortable then don't even worry about it." She smiled and Fenrir nudged my ribs with his nose. I patted his head and kissed his eyelid. "I like her Daddy. I hope that I will be getting a sister this time around." I froze in place, heat rising up my neck and burning my face.

"Helena." Loki was trying to be stern but I could tell he was snickering at me. Clint gave me a wink while Steve blushed too. Bruce shook his head. Logan smiled and gave me a thumbs up.

"Umm..." I tried to find my voice. "I'm not sure I'm ready for that...yet." Loki smiled down at me and kissed my cheek.

"No need to start thinking about that yet." I released a breath of air and we continued. A few minutes later we reached the open room. "Gather around Fenrir and I shall call upon Heimdall." We did so and clung carefully to each other. "Heimdall! Send up back to the roof of Avengers Tower! We have collected two more stone!" I already had my eyes closed and a second later we were transported through the Bifrost. I was a getting use to the feeling a little better so it wasn't making me that dizzy.

I waited for my feet to touch the ground before I opened my eyes. I was met with black fur at first. My head looked over and recognized the city scape before us. "We made it back." Everyone pulled back. Hel had her eyes wide as she took everything in, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to speak. Fenrir spun around in circles, sniffing the air and wagging his tail happily. "What do you two think?" Hel clapped her hands and cried happily.

"This is amazing!" We chuckled and snapped our heads towards the door that just opened. Everyone were staring at us with big, bug eyes. Natasha ran up to Clint. Storm and Hank checked out Logan. Tony and T'Challa were looking over Bruce and I while Thor held Loki close to him.

Everyone was talking all at once that nobody could really hear what anyone was saying. My anger rose again and I stomped my foot on the ground. Everyone fell and looked up at me. "Enough! Why are all of you acting this way?!"

Tony stumbled to get up. "Riley, you guys were gone a week." My team looked at Tony, completely surprised. He looked and noticed Fenrir and Hel. "Who's the chick and the Big Bad Wolf?"

Loki stood in front of them with a proud smile. "They are my children, Fenrir and Helena. Pets this is Anthony Stark." Hel waved and clung to Bruce again. Fenrir sniffed him and knocked him over, placing a paw against his chest.

"Hey!"

Thor stepped up. "It has been many years. Come great your Uncle Thor!" Hel ran up and jumped into his arms. Fenrir howled and waged his tail wildly.

I rubbed my head and took a few deep breaths. "Wait, everyone hold up. Please." Thor and Loki's kids calmed down to look at me. "What do you mean we were gone a week?"

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><p>I couldn't believe that we had been gone a week. It felt only a day at max. Even Hel was a little surprised by the large amount of time we spent there. Everyone had calmed down now and watched silently as Loki played with Fenrir. He was about twice the size of a normal dog, still intimidating but cute none the less. Tony wasn't happy about the two extra people staying here but after a short talk to him changed his mind. Thor was happy to see his niece and nephew and joined in a little bit on the family reunion.<p>

"My Queen." I blinked up to Loki as I continued to polish Nova.

"What is it?" Loki had Hel hanging on his back while Fenrir exposed his belly to Thor to rub.

"Do you mind if they were to stay with us in our room?" I could feel everyone's gaze on me and I don't know why it was such a big deal.

I chuckled and shook my head. "Of course Loki. The bed is big enough for all of us." Hel brimmed with happiness and Fenrir jumped up to climb in my lap, licking my face and neck. "Fenrir! That tickles!" He rubbed his snout against my cheek and went back to his family on the floor.

Natasha and Storm came up to me, handing me a Pepsi. Storm pointed at my chest with a raised eyebrow. "So, are you going to just keep the two stones between your breast?"

I rolled my eyes and moved Nova to the side so I could take out Power and Reality. I looked at them and smiled. We now had Space, Mind, Power and Reality. Thor would only have to get the last two tomorrow when they leave and we will win against Him. My mind kept repeating the stone count in my head a few more times before I realized something. "Hey, guys?" I caught everyone's attention. "There are six stones all together. We now have four, Him has one...how do we still have two left?"

Tony held up his hand to do the math and froze. "She's right."

Loki tapped his nose with his finger. "There are only six...could Space miss counted? No, impossible."

T'Challa sipped his water before speaking. "Maybe we should ask her again. There might be another stone that no one is aware of."

"I'm not sure that is possible friend." Thor glanced at the sky through the window. "Father only spoke of six stone and the single gauntlet. If there was another I would've surely been told by now."

I agreed. "Thor's right. Alfather knows what we're trying to do, he would be trying to help us in anyway by now if he could."

We all got real quiet and Loki stood up and walked over to me. He tilted my head up and kissed me briefly. "May we speak to Space?" I blinked at him and closed my eyes, trying to force Space out. It was hard, like pushing a floating ball of jelly into one specific area. After some time I began to feel warmth flowing through my veins and Space finally came out. My body lifted from the seat to rise above everybody.

**"You wish to speak to me, Prince of Asgard?"** Loki knelt down.

"Yes, we want to confirm the six Infinity Stones." My eyes closed and a vision seemed to play within my mind. I was within a golden temple with a open roof so the stars and other planets reviled themselves to me. There were six posts that made a circle around a circle table. My body moved forward. I saw the stone implanted in each post carefully. A young man with his guards came up and stood around the table. I watched carefully as these guards placed a piece of metal down. It looked as if it was a top piece to a crown that had broken off at some point.

The young man ushered the guards out and took a few steps back, lifting up a golden spear. His mouth moved, speaking out but I couldn't hear anything. I forced myself to step back and watch. The stone began to glow heavily, making the air dense. The piece of metal lifted up into the air and absorbed the colors from the stone. The metal began to spin around, wrapping itself with the stone's colors until it exploded in a bright, white light and fell. I stumbled but regained my stance. The stones seemed fine but the young man was nowhere to be seen.

I stepped up to the table and noticed that the metal and changed it shape and color. It was now a sharp spear that shined blacker than the deepest black hole. It looked deadly and terrifying, making me shiver at the small weapon. The guards returned, frowning and coming over to the other side of the table and lifting up the young man's spear. I walked around and saw that the man was dead, all life drained from him. I stepped back and closed my eyes to reopen them and see that I had returned.

"Riley!" I jumped and slapped Natasha's hand out of my face.

"I'm fine..." They were all looking at me funny. "Did Space say anything?" They shook their heads.

"No, she only closed her eyes and you fell back in the chair." I sighed and rubbed my temples.

Everyone seemed concerned for me, and I was happy they all cared so much, but I was being suffocated. "Space, please." Everyone took half a step back, which was better then nothing. "I had a vision I think. Thor, I don't think your father even knows what I know." I stood up and took out both Power and Reality in my hands, looking them over. "I was in a temple where the stones were resting. A man who looked like he was a former king was there. He did something with a piece of metal and the stones...creating another stone." I took a second to think it over before I continued. "It was actually more like a spear of some sort. It looked like the essence...of evil. The man died afterwards so I don't know what happened after that."

Thor crossed his arms and looked down at the floor. Loki frowned and glanced at his children. Everyone else were looking at me expectantly, as if I had more to say. After a long moment of silence Hank stood up. "I think there is more to the story of the Six Infinity Stones, obviously. Let us rest tonight and we can ask more questions when we get to Asgard."

Steve nodded his head. "That's a good idea. I know we are exhausted." Everyone began to break apart.

I made a quick decision and ran up to Tony before he left too. "Hold on." I came up to him and placed Power in his hand. "This will help you. Power will protect you guys and help you find the next two stones." He smiled and gave me a soft hug.

"Thanks Riley. I'll take good care of it."

I chuckled. "Good! I went through a lot to get it." We both chuckled and he headed off. I followed Loki and his kids to our room. Fenrir jumped on the bed and curled up by the pillows. I went and got changed out of my suit and placed Nova by the bed. Loki rested his head against Fenrir's ribcage with Hel curled up against his right side. I smiled and pulled up the blankets and proceeded to rest against Loki's other side. It wasn't long before we all fell asleep. The vision of the temple replay over and over in my sleep.

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><p><strong>Okay, this chapter was a little longer than I was expecting. The part about the other stone I made up, and there is a reason for it so don't worry. I will be seeing you all again when Tony and his team lead off to Asgard and Jötunheimr. Again, it will take two chapters but the middle chapter with Riley will be smaller so don't worry too much. Until next time my friends! <strong>


	21. Chapter 21

**I'm back again! Thanks for the reviews everyone. I'm glad you all liked the chapter so here is the next one with Tony. Yay! You may hate me for this chapter but that is to be expected. Not everything is going to be peachy in this story. Fair warning.**

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><p>I tinkered with the chest piece of the Iron man's suit, seeing if I could use Power before we were to head out in a hour. I, strangely enough, got up a littler earlier and instantly went to work. The stone was a pretty good size rock, now I just needed to find a way to hook it up with my Arch Reactor and it would be all good to go. I took out some of the metal and adjust the wiring. So far it was looking pretty good for me so I kept it up. Once I made a space large enough I picked up Power and carefully placed it in the hole with a soft clunk filling the air. I froze to make sure I didn't wake somebody up, even though I highly doubted that I did. Power fit in place perfectly, now all I had to do was make sure that it would actually work. I put on the chest piece and a glove, aiming at the small can of beer resting about twenty feet away. Raising my hand I aimed and as quietly as I could I shot at it. The effect was way better than what I was expecting. The whole can just exploded, nothing was left to show proof that the can was there before.<p>

"Well shit." I chuckled and quickly took it all off. As I laid the chest piece down I realized that the glowing of Power and my Arch Reactor made a dark, purple halo. "Again with that damn color. I'm going back to sleep." I waved everyone off and fell back to sleep instantly when my head hit the pillow. I was not met with another freaky dream and enjoyed the silence and solitude before I was going to be transported to another realm.

Pepper kiss my temple, making my eyes open almost instantly. She rolled over and got out of bed. "Get up, Thor said that he wanted everyone up as early as you could be." I groaned and forced myself with all the strength of a God to sit up. She placed her hands on her hips. "Really?"

I smirked. "Yes. Did you not see what I had to go through to go through this painful process?" Pepper rolled her eyes but I did catch her small smile before she turned away. "I'm going ahead and take a shower. Will breakfast be ready when I get out?"

"Yes, Tony." I slowly got out of bed and kissed her cheek before shuffling over to my bathroom and turning on the shower to the perfect temperature. About thirty minutes later I was squeaky clean and in fresh clothes. After I groomed myself and gathered everything together I headed down to the living room, seeing my team ready to go. Natasha and Hank were talking with Clint. T'Challa was sipping some tea, giving me a quick wave. Thor and Storm were outside talking amongst themselves. I ignored most of them and headed for the kitchen. Riley was making some toast and sipped on water with Logan and Loki having a quiet conversation about whatever.

Riley looked up and smiled. "Hey Tony. Are you ready?" I cracked my neck, satisfied when I heard a few good pops.

"I will be when I get my coffee." She rolled her eyes and moved so I could get to the maker. "What are you, and everybody else, going to do when we're gone?"

She shrugged. "I planned on more training. I need to practice more with my own powers. Hopefully it will help with controlling Space a little more. I'm not sure about anybody else though." I took a glance at Loki and Logan who became quiet, listening to us.

Loki sipped his cup of tea. "I'm going to help her as much as I can." I looked at Logan and he smirked.

"Steve and I were going to go and tinker with his bike." The coffee was done and I smiled, quickly making my mug. Pepper came up and handed me a plate of pancakes and eggs. I thanked her and started stuffing my face. It was good and made me feel full. Once I was done I followed them off to the living room so my team could meet up. Storm and Thor were telling us that planet icicle was going to be freezing cold and we needed to be careful.

Riley had been strangely quiet up until we were about to head for the roof. "Be careful everyone. The last stone, Time is orange so it should be a little easier to find in a world of blue." Thor smiled at her.

"Thank you for your concern Riley. We will be fine." She smiled but as soon as he turned away I noticed that it fell slightly.

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><p>Thor held us close together as he started to yell at the sky. I wondered if the government was getting a kick out of this while watching us. I made sure to get everyone to wear the jackets we bought a week ago. I wore mine under the suit and it was quickly becoming warn in here so I had to keep reminding myself that it would become freezing cold before I knew it. My eyes briefly went to those who were staying behind. "Heimdall! Please transport us to Jötunheimr!" The air shifted and we were off to another world in a instant. The familiar floating feeling came and went before we harshly landed on a hard block of ice. My boots, not liking the ice at all, began slipping.<p>

"I got you!" Both T'Challa and Hank grabbed me.

I sighed and chuckled. "Thanks." Cold air began to seep through the metal suit, brushing against my exposed skin. "Burrr!" Natasha shook her head at me. Storm waved her hands and the rough winds began to slow down until it was a small breeze. "Thanks Mother Nature, that's a lot of help."

She smiled. "It's fine. Where should we begin looking? Thor?"

Thor looked around until his gaze landed on something in the distance. It looked like a thick, rock mountain from here. "There is the Frost Giant's kingdom. We should start there." Hank walked closer and suddenly stumbled back.

"Umm...guys?" We walked closer and noticed that we landed on a cliff and right in front of us was a sheer drop into infant blackness.

I turned to Thor. "Hey. Is your friend trying to kill us by any chance?"

Thor chuckled. "If he was trying he would've sent us straight down there instead of leaving us here."

I waved a finger at him. "Good point, Point Break." Natasha looked around and pointed to our right.

"There's a bridge over there. Let's get moving." We began walking. I felt silly walking in my suit instead of flying but it wouldn't be fair that everyone had to walk, well...almost everyone. The bridge was a little rickety but we walked over it with no problem. I took noticed that pieces of mountains and the ground seemed to have been blown off. T'Challa noticed this too and frowned.

"Why does this world look as if it's falling apart?" Thor sighed.

"I'm surprised it still in one piece to be honest my friends. When Loki had discovered who he was and what had happened to him he wanted to take revenge on this world." We stopped when we reached a crater. He took one step closer to it and a large chunk of the outer rim cracked and fell off. "Before the Bifrost was destroyed, Loki used it to destroy this realm. I was able to stop him before he succeeded...but the results are still unfortunate."

Storm frowned and rubbed her upper arms. "I'd say. It's depressing." Thor led us around the crater and we kept moving, headed for the palace of ice that was getting larger with the distance we're covering. Snow crushed under our feet, the silence in the air was almost too much to handle. "Everyone, look." Storm pointed to a large pile of snow on a rock.

Hank scratched his head. "What is it Storm?"

She narrowed her eyes on it. "I just saw it move!" We all were alerted and jumped into defense mode, except for Thor.

He smiled and slowly walked up to it. "No need to be alarmed my friends, it is only a Snow Wolf cub."

I crossed my arms. "That pile of ice is bigger than you and me put together and you said it is a cub?!" The pile moved and melted until bright, silver fur formed with light blue ring spots. The head lifted up, showing bright blue eyes and small tusks that looked a little sharp. Black claws pointed out when it stretched and a long, snake-like tail curled up. Once the cub was fully awake it stared at us in almost wonder.

Natasha smiled and walked up to Thor. "Damn it's cute. How big to they get normally?"

T'Challa cleared his throat and pointed behind us. "I think that's about the right size." We swiveled around to see a thirty-foot tall wolf with its tusks sharpened to a fine point. It roared at us and we all jumped a little. Hank stumbled.

"What do we do?!" I had my hands up, aiming to shoot the wolf-shaped iceberg in front of us.

Thor jumped forward and slowly pushed us back away. "No! It's just a mother protecting her cub. We just need to go." We all began stumbling backwards. The younger cub pranced forward and rubbed up against its mother's coat, purring loudly. The mother licked its head and they both began walking away. "Let's go, before we encounter the father."

I shivered. "Yeah...I don't want to meet the daddy of that beast." Everyone agreed with me and we continued our way.

* * *

><p>"This place is fucking huge!" My voice echoed and bounced off the walls of the kingdom until it faded away.<p>

Natasha shook her head at me. "No need to be so loud. I don't want to attract anybody or anything that still lives here." Hank was examining the walls, mumbling things to himself. T'Challa stayed close to me not saying a word. Natasha and Storm were looking over the whole place while Thor desperately looked around.

Hank noticed and spoke up. "Is something wrong Thor?" He stopped and sighed heavily.

"I was expecting a Frost Giant by now...but there seems there isn't any in sight." Storm came up and patted his shoulder. He smiled but it looked forced to me. I looked up to the tip of a broken tower. "We need to cover more area. Spread out but not too far." I flew up and fell into the top of the tower.

It looked like a library of some sort. Books that were made of fur and skin were spread across the floor, a few still resting within a ice bookshelf. It was neat to look at but it was quickly depressing. I carefully picked one up and opened it with care. The cover was a dark green, made of skin from a different animal. The pages were made of thin skin, whiter than the snow itself to the point that it almost glowed. Black ink was worn out but still easy to read, if anybody understood this language. The book reminded me of the book that Riley once showed me a while back. I made a quick decision to take the book back and continued my search.

I walked over and examined the icy furniture in the broken room. My eyes noticed a door in the distance so I walked over to it and opened it. It was a little heavy but glided over the slick floor. My eyes scanned the next room, seeing that it was a bedroom for a child, a very large child. "Damn...they really are giants." A bed that was a little bigger that my own rested in the middle of the room. What looked like toys was scattered across the floor, forgotten a long time ago. More books was lined up in the room and in the shelves. "They really did like their books..." Nothing else caught my eye so I flew off and out of the tower. As soon as I reached the outside again I was instantly shrouded in darkness. "Oh fuck. Guys!"

Above us was a very familiar space craft, hovering over the whole area. I flew down where everyone was crowding around together. I took the chance and stuck the book inside the suit, the skin-book brushing against my jacket. Thor raised his hammer, growling deep. "The Chitauri is here! Be careful!" Natasha pulled out her guns. Hank crouched, ready to pounce along with T'Challa. Storm flew up and was ready to summon up with whatever she wanted. I was next to her, my repulsor rays aimed and ready.

A hatch opened and a row of Chitauri were standing before us, and one, tall being that once haunted my dream. "Oh shit...not good." Storm glanced over to me.

"What's wrong?" I motioned my head to the tall, purple guy.

"That's HIM! The one who want's to destroy us all!" Thor and the others stared at me in disbelief until the bastard spoke up, lifting a golden fist.

"That's correct! I'm here to collect Time...and might as well get Power while I'm at it." Not good. He pointed a finger and we were instantly at war. Storm summoned some winds to blow most of them back but they just kept coming at us. While Natasha, Hank and T'Challa were handling them one-by-one, Thor was using his hammer to strike them with lightening. Throwing down his hammer he was able to knock a great amount of them out but they just kept coming. I was blasting parts of the walls around us to crush groups of them.

Him came running towards us. Thor noticed and yelled at us. "Don't let Him touch you or else he will use you like he did my Brother!" Of fuck! I had forgotten about that. Him was running past everyone and headed straight for me.

"Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!" I flew off away as he tried to grab at me. Thor unleashed a bolt of lightening at him. Him cried out and picked up a large ice rock and threw it at Thor. "Watch out!"

Thor jumped out of the way and was tackled by a group of Chitauri. Natasha helped him out and they were soon back on their feet. I locked eyes with Him and he smiled at me, a smiled that reminded me too much of Loki. "Come here metal man."

I shook my head. "My mommy told me not to talk to strangers." He growled and pounced at me again. I flew out of the way and fired a few missiles at Him. He only laughed and continued to chase me. "As much as I love to play Cat and Mouse. I am now bored." I shot straight up and focused the power to my gloves. A warm and tingling sensation ran up and down my arms as my whole body had a dark red hue, darker than my suit. I released a blast of my ray and he flew back, crashing into a wall of solid ice. "Wow...Power, you're my new friend!"

I lowered myself down and slowly began to remember what Riley's description of Power was. It had the ability to absorb all the power around us and use it just for me. The group were gathered in a tight circle, backs against each other so they could see and protect each other. I flew down between them and tried to pull off that stunt once again. T'Challa glanced at me as he was slashing against a few Chitauri. "Tony! What are you going?!"

Natasha swore and threw a kick. "I'm out of ammo!"

The glowing around me came again. Thor noticed this and began to shake a little. "Man of Iron! You must be careful with that power! It will drain us all!"

I clenched my eyes shut. "That's why I want to do this in one shot! Duck!" They fell to the ground as I spun around and releasing a beam of sharp, red magnetic power at the army around us. The Chitauri all fell to the ground, along with my suit. I looked around and noticed at almost everyone had past out. "Hey...guys? Are you all okay?" Thor groaned and tried to push himself up.

"Power has sucked our strength dry friend... We must rest..." He fell back down and I cringed.

"Shit!" The suit started working for me again so I stood up and checked everyone. Their heart rated were normal. "That was too damn close."

"You are a risky one, huh?" I looked and saw Him walking up to me, brushing off shavings of ice. "But that won't save you now,...Anthony Stark." I swallowed and looked over everybody. None of them were in any condition to fight now. I stepped away from them, hoping they wouldn't get hurt. Him followed me, raising his gloved hand. "Do you know what this is mortal?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Is it a magical wand your holding? No, a sword! Umm...hold on I got this-"

"Silence!" I raised my hands in defeat.

"You asked." He growled and punched the wall next to him.

It crumbled and fell over into a abyss over the cliff next to me. "I have the Infinity Gauntlet and the Infinity Stone, Soul. When I grip your tiny, little throat in my hands I will make you slowly kill everyone you know and love in the most brutal ways possible." I swallowed hard, sweat rolling down my spine.

"Damn, you really need to find yourself a hobby. Might I suggest stamp collecting?" Him threw his fist down at the ground, cracking it that was spreading quickly towards me. I had no choice but to fly up into the air. Him took his chance and grabbed a hold of my leg. He began pulling me towards him roughly. I blasted his face and he cringed but just threw me on the broken ground. The armor on my back cracked and bent in a awkward shape, digging into my own back. "Come on...get up."

He leaned over me and gripped my chest piece. "I'll be taking Power first." I reached up to punch him and kick him in the face. He took it but wouldn't get off.

I finally snapped. "Get off of me!" I threw one more punch that collided with his face. He growled and he was suddenly gone. I looked and saw the Ice Wolf mother tearing and clawing at Him. I took my chance and got up as well. Him cried out when the wolf bit into his arm, ripping off a piece of his flesh. It was pretty gruesome for the moment. The cub came running up and went between my legs, hosting me up onto its back as it ran off. "Whoa! Good baby!" It stopped and dropped me off next to Thor and Hank. The cub rubbed up against me. We both jumped when we heard a shrill coming from the mother wolf. Her head was thrown back, eyes rolling back.

Him had her by the throat and was slowly crushing her windpipe. The cub howled and went to charge at Him. I flew up and collided with Him, taking him away from the wounded wolf mother. Him punched me and threw me back. I jumped back up and blasted at him a few more times. Him retracted his fist at me but was tackled by Hank to the ground. Thor threw his hammer, hitting Him in the gut. I was thrilled to see these two up and back into the fight.

Thor looked at me and pointed to the ship they came in. "You need to destroy their engines! We cannot let him escape here!" I nodded and began to fly off. I wasn't sure where to start so I just blasted anything that looked somewhat important. Fire exploded out of the sides, pieces of metal were falling off of the sides. Once I was satisfied I pulled back to see Thor and hank having troubles wrestling with Him. I flew down and blasted his back, rewarded with a loud cry of pain. Him pulled back and looked at his ship, frowning deeply.

Him jumped up and into what was left of his ship. "I will return! And I'm coming straight for you Anthony!" The ship retreated into the distance.

I flipped up my mask and yelled, "Don't forget to write!" My lungs felt exhausted, being crushed within the suit. "Damn. I guess that ship was sturdier that I thought it was."

"Tony!" I glanced over and saw Natasha and T'Challa kneeling next to the mother wolf.

"Fuck...no." I walked over, everyone else following. The cub whined and nudge its mother's cheek. My head turned away at the sight, my heart aching a little. The mother gave a weak howl, catching my attention again. I looked and saw the wolf was looking at me directly. I knelt down next to it and carefully patted its head. "Thank you..." The mother hummed and rolled over to get up. The cub panted happily and silenced itself when the mother growled in pain. She came up to me and nudged me forward, yipping in pain when she moved her head.

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><p>The wolf led us to a small cave. It was dark but kind of cozy. The mother was having trouble moving so Thor, Hank and I carried her to the cave and lay her down on a soft pile of snow. The cub ran up and cuddled under her front paws. T'Challa moved next to her, feeling her fur next to her next, shaking his head. "She may internal bleeding, she won't live through the night."<p>

Natasha, for the first time, began to cry. Storm allowed herself to have a few tears roll down her cheeks, moving to hug Natasha. Hank hung his head while Thor sighed. Thor moved and sat by the wolf's head. "I am forever grateful for your sacrifice, Ice Wolf." The wolf whimpered and the cub whined at its mother again.

The mother looked at me and tried to sit up once again. We all jumped to help her but she gave us a warning growl. Her cub bounced up and made figure eights around her legs. She lifted her head and flinched. Instead, she moved her eyes to a darker part of the cave. Thor looked and moved over to where the wolf was looking. He lifted his hammer and broke apart a part of the cave and picked up something.

His eyes were wide but looked sad. "It's...Time." We faced the wolf again. "You were protecting it weren't you?" The mother released a low hum and fell back into the snow.

T'Challa stepped back and faced me. "She doesn't have much time left."

I had to take a deep breath to keep my voice even. "What about...her cub?" Natasha moved forward and gently petted the cub, trying to comfort it. "Thor? Could we use Time to-"

He glanced at me. "No. It's too dangerous to use this power when we have not a full understand of it." My hands balled into fists and I sighed. We all sat down around the mother, petting her and trying to ease her pain. The cub rubbed against its mother and Natasha during this time. Nobody was keep track of time so we didn't know how long we sat there, but it felt like a hundred years to me. I had taken my armor gloves off so I could feel her soft fur under my fingers. It was cold to touch but not painful at all. She seemed to enjoy the warmth we were giving her.

After another, long moment the mother wolf shook a little and opened its mouth, howling into the night one more time. The howl rang through my ears and a new, painful memory that would stick with me for the rest of my life. Her eyes closed softly as her head rest fully against the snow. Storm dropped her head and Hank patted her shoulder. Natasha held the cub as she wept silently. Thor and I closed out eyes, releasing a shutter of breath and standing up. We pulled back and were about to leave when something caught my eye. "Hold on, guys. Look."

The body of the mother wolf began to glow and melt into the ground and in place was a large patch of white flowers that instantly started blooming. They looked like white roses until they became crystalized. Hank stepped up, his mouth hanging open. "This is extraordinary! Can you explain this Thor?"

Thor looked as surprised as we were. "These-these are Crystal Petals! They are extremely rare to find!" He walked up and felt a petal between his fingers. "Nobody could every figure where they had come from. My people had tried to reproduce these flowers over but it never worked. These flowers have special healing factors."

Storm smiled and petted the cub. "Amazing, the wolf gives life to help others." She looked down and I looked as well. The cub seemed lost, unsure what to do now. "Thor, what about this little one?"

He walked over and crossed his arms in thought. "It is still young. Their life span as cubs are very short so this cub should be no older than two."

"Still a baby." I muttered. After a minute of thinking I clapped my hands, catching everyone's attention. "Okay, it's settled...as much as I don't want to have to take care of another creature. I am not willing to let it fight on its own in this world." I crouched down next to the cub and scratched under its chin. "Maybe Loki's son could take of it, just until it's big enough to fight and live on its own. What do you think Thunderbutt?"

Ignoring my name, Thor looked over the new flowerbed and back at the cub. "We would have to take it back with us to Asgard for I still need to talk to Father about the forgotten stone. But I agree with you, Man of Iron. This cub will not be able to survive on its own without its mother yet."

T'Challa picked one flower and walked over to the cub. He yanked a piece of his suit off, making a long rope of cloth, and tying it around the cub's neck with the rose hanging from its neck. "There, now you'll have a bit of your mother where ever you go." The cub nudged T'Challa and he chuckled. "What shall we name it?... In fact, is it a boy or a girl?"

Thor chuckled and lifted the tail. "It's a boy!" Natasha crossed her arms and smiled.

"How about Blizzard?" I was taking off my suit for the most part. Unhappy with the rush of cold that hugged me like a clingy child.

I smiled at her as I was taking off my jacket and tossing it to T'Challa. "A little cliché but perfect." I quickly got back in my suit and sighed in relief with the warmth that quickly held me again. T'Challa thanked me while Hank went and picked another flower.

"I would like to do some research to see how this is possible. We may not be able to create more of them but it's still amazing to learn more about them." Thor chuckled and stuck Time in his pocket.

"We need to take our leave now and go to Asgard. That is now including you, pet Blizzard." The cub, Blizzard jumped up and sniffed the rose around its neck, barking happily.

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><p><strong>This was a little shorter than my normal chapters I know. Again, I hope you don't hate me for the death of a wolf. I love them, trust me. Have you seen my name? lol, anyway, the next chapter is going to be some badass sparing going on so be prepared! Until next time my friends!<strong>


	22. Chapter 22

**Long time no see. Here's Riley's chapter. As I said before, there will be awesome sparring matches here. It won't be too long so we can go through this one easily so you all won't have to wait for the next chapter for too long. Here it is! It's about a average size chapter and it's pretty emotional in the end. I'm NOT sorry about that! lol**

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><p>It had only been a hour since they had left and I was already getting very nervous. Hel came up to Loki and was begging him to show her around Migard. He had to refuse because people would recognize him and attack him and Hel. She was disappointed to say the least. I wish I had bit my tongue at that moment. "Hey Hel..." She looked up to me with a small pout. I sighed and adjusted my stance a little. "I can show you around, if you want. Fenrir can come too. If it's okay with Loki of course." Loki smiled thankfully but Hel didn't look too happy.<p>

Hel crossed her arms, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. "I guess... I was hoping you could come Daddy." He smiled sadly and cupped her cheek, placing a kiss to the crown of her head.

"Once this realm is more comfortable with me then we will. We, and your brother, can go where ever you want to go and see." She beamed at him and jumped a bit. Loki chuckled and patted her head as Fenrir came in. "Hello my son. My Queen has offered to show you and Hel around the Migard's city. Would you like that?"

Fenrir looked up at me and licked my hand. I giggled and petted his head, happy that one of Loki's kids were okay with me. "There a large park that you can run free if you want to go later, when it's a bit cooler. Does that sound like fun?" He seemed to smile and rubbed his head against my side. My heart grew and I hugged him. Fenrir and Hel left and went into the living room, checking out the large TV. Loki placed his hand around my waist, smiling at me with adoration. "Don't even say it. I want them to be happy too."

He leaned down and placed a soft kiss to my lips. "I am forever grateful to have you to myself, My Queen." His affection made me grin and blush at him. I didn't notice Clint walking in the room until he made a gaging noise.

"Yuck! You too get a room!" Loki growled while I only rolled my eyes. Hel flicked a chip at him which bounced off the side of his head. "Hey!" We all chuckled a little as Steve and Logan came in.

Steve noticed Clint glaring at Hel and frowned. "No need to be so assertive at a young woman Clint." Clint stumbled over his words and settled to pouting while crossing his arms.

Logan scratched his chin and pointed towards the elevator. "I'm heading for the training room. Bruce is already there, so who all is coming?"

I stepped forward. "I planned on getting more control over my mutant powers. Loki is going to help me out with that." I glanced at him as he nodded. "Hel, Fenrir? What did you two want to do?"

Hel looked at her brother and smiled. "Do you mind if we watch?" I shrugged.

"I don't mind at all. Loki?"

He chuckled. "That's fine by me. Let us go and see how much you have improved."

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><p>"I'm starting to think Hel came because she wanted to hang on Bruce's shoulders." Smirking at Loki, I watched as he was becoming uncomfortable. Hel instantly clinged to Bruce's arm when she saw him sitting on a bench, writing something down. He didn't seem surprised by this but was a little nervous by the look in his eye.<p>

Loki ignored my comment and escorted me to the center of the ring. "Do you remember how to call upon that power within you?" I nodded.

"Faintly, but I have the general idea." Spreading my feet apart and holding up my arms, I got ready for the training lesson.

Loki open his hand and manifested a golden staff that had beautiful design etched into it. He pointed the end of it at me. "Do not hold back." His voice was harsh, a warning that he was not going to go soft on me.

I didn't have Nova with me now. I needed to be able to rely on only myself in case I lose Nova during the fight. It the mostly the reason for training now. My mind went back to when the little boy melted away my drawing, forcing the feeling of wanting to push it all away to come back to me. Once I felt as if I was ready I gave Loki a single, strong nod and we began to circle the ring, keeping our eyes locked on each other. I knew better and didn't make the first move so I waited until Loki strike first. Sure enough, a few moments later, he spun and swung his staff at me. I dropped to the ground and rolled out of the way.

Loki shook his head as we began to circle again. "Fight back." His command sent a shiver of fear through me. Loki blinked and suddenly jabbed the end towards me, I stepped out of the way and grabbed the end that was heading straight for my neck. I reached to kick him but felt nothing but air. Loki was suddenly behind me, his staff pressed harshly against my neck. "Fight me. Now!"

I closed my eyes, not allowing the tears of pain leak out now. My body shook violently until I felt a strong force explode from me, throwing Loki back. My breathing was ragged but I didn't stop there. Throwing my hands out towards him, I kept hitting him with this force, throwing him around the room and into a rack that held boxing gloves.

"Daddy!" Hel ran forward and I had to skid to a stop to keep myself from hurting her. I fell on my face and groaned, getting up and looking at Loki. He dusted his shoulders and was calming Hel and Fenrir down.

Steve and Logan came up to me, helping me up. Steve whistled approvingly and Logan grinned. "Damn Riley, that was one hell of a show." I gave him a weak smile but inside I felt as though I had failed my training. I was trying to control these powers but all I did was lose control and threw my anger and frustration at him. Loki was walking up to me and brushed my cheek, a single tear falling from his thumb.

"Do not shed tears, My Queen. You are strong." I shook my head.

"I have no control. I will end up killing someone again..." Loki frowned, a dark haze falling over me.

Clint walked up and looked straight at Loki. "I believe we have our own match that is long over due." Loki glanced at me before looking at him and nodding.

"You are correct." Hel sent a glare at me as she walked by and tried to cuddle with Bruce. He saw me and shrugged her off, surprising her. I went and leaned against the wall, my arms hanging by my sides. Logan came up to me while Loki and Clint were getting ready.

Logan was quiet and suddenly smacked my head. I was stunned and looked up at him. He sighed and crossed his arms, standing at my left. "Nobody has full control at first Riley. Even now, I sometimes forget who I am."

He kept his gaze in front of him but it looked like he, himself, was somewhere else. "How do you keep yourself from hurting someone?"

Logan didn't speak for a while until he sighed silently. "Who says I haven't?" My eyes grew wide as I stared at him. "There's this kid I knew back at the school. She was a runaway when I found her. One night after we found Charles she came to my room, hearing me having a nightmare. It was common for me but she got worried and walked in, trying to help me." He glanced at his knuckles, his claws slowly coming out. "I instantly went into attack mode, thinking someone from my past was trying to kill me...instead I met with her scared face."

I swallowed my dry mouth and softly spoke to him. "Is she...dead?" He shook his head.

"No, Rogue has this power to take anybody's mutant power and learn it herself. She took my healing factor and healed instantly." I was shocked that someone could have a power that incredible. "The draw back for her is that anyone she touches, or touches her, can be put into a comma or even die."

"That poor girl..." Logan nodded and patted my head before lazily draping it over my shoulders comfortably.

"Ya' remind me a lot of her." His comment made me smile and relax a bit.

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><p>Loki stood with his staff in hand in front of Clint who had his arrows and bow. Loki twirled the golden stick and took one step back into his stance. "Do you wish for me to not use my magic or not?"<p>

Clint took out a arrow and waited a second before shaking his head. "Don't hold back. I want to fight you at full strength." Loki's expression didn't change, he simply nodded and they both waited for Steve signal to begin. Once Steve announced the beginning of the match Clint didn't hesitate to shoot his first arrow at Loki. He was so fast that I didn't even see him aim it at Loki. The arrow headed straight for Loki's shoulder but was thrown off to the side when Loki flicked his staff in front of him. Loki jumped forward and threw down the staff towards Clint's head. Clint noticed this and reached for another arrow as he jumped back. Loki spun and flung it at Clint again.

Everything was going so fast I was having a hard time catching up with their movements. Arrows were scattered over the floor. I picked one up and saw that it was shaped a little different from the normal arrow that a hunter would use. I was almost a diamond spear kind of thing that was glowing a little. I dropped it and focused back on the match. Clint only had a few more arrows to use. I started to think that Loki only wanted to get Clint to run out of arrows on purpose since he wasn't going all out like Clint wanted in the first place.

Loki jumped in the air, using the staff to throwing him higher, and leaped over Clint to kicked him in the center of his back. Clint flew back and tumbled but got right back up, going for another arrow...but there wasn't any left. His eyes widen and he stilled for a moment. Loki smirked and made his staff disappear, getting into a strong stance. "Now that we both are unarmed, let's handle this with our hands."

With a growl Clint threw his bow to the side and Steve caught it. "Fine." This was going to get ugly quickly, I felt it in my gut. Clint ran forward and started throwing out punches and a few kicks in different places, not a single patter could be made out and yet Loki blocked them all. Loki caught Clint's fist and threw him forward. Clint jumped back up as Loki took his turn with his hits. He threw his fist at Clint and missed but he lifted his knee instead and collided with Clint's stomach. He cried out and fell back on the mats.

I cringed at the impact and was impressed when Clint got back up, deadly intent shining in his eyes. He held up his hands and used his energy to block Loki's attacks the best he could. Hel and Fenrir began cheering for Loki, "Go Daddy!" Poor Clint didn't have any support.

I licked my dry lips and cupped my hands around my mouth. "Hang in there Clint!" Loki was shocked that I was cheering for his opponent which gave Clint a opening. Clint threw a hard punch to his jaw, Loki's head snapping back and nearly falling to the floor. Clint proceeded to throw a side kick to his side and spun to finish off with and hook kick to Loki's jaw again. Loki stumbled and countered with a jump kick to Clint's face. "Enough! Steve!"

Steve jumped forward to separate the two. We all ran up to Loki and Clint. Blood ran down Loki's jaw but other than that he looked perfectly fine. Clint was not so lucky. He stayed on the ground, eyes closed and his mouth wide open, sucking in as much air as his lungs could hold. Bruce was already checking everything while Steve went and got a ice pack. I knelt next to Clint and he opened one eye to me. He managed a smirk and held up a fist to me. "Thanks...for the distraction." I chuckled and fist bumped him, feeling eyes stare harshly into my back.

Steve came back and gave Clint a bag of ice. Bruce and I helped Clint up and Logan laughed. "You got guts Tweetie bird! I'll give ya' that!" We all laughed and left the training room.

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><p>I was walking down the hallway, heading to my room to change my clothes. When I rounded a corner I noticed Hel and Loki in a heated discussion so I swiftly turned back. "She was cheering for that human! I don't like her Daddy!" My eyes darted to the floor, my mood drastically changing.<p>

"That may be but she was supporting her friend. You will not talk about My Queen as such again." Loki's voice was a whisper but it sounded venomous.

Hel's voice was smaller. "But-but...how do you know she's not sleeping with him behind your back?! Or with Stark?! I know about their relationship!" It felt like I was slapped across the face, a few tears leaking from the corners of my eyes.

"She is faithful to me, like she always have been. I trust her Pet." Loki had that much trust of me? I felt a little happier. "Besides, My Queen hasn't had the time to even try and attempt to bed with another man. She is always by my side."

"She isn't now." Hel sounded proud of herself. I wanted to give her a good slap in the face by now.

"That's because she is around the corner listening to us." Everything went quiet. I bit my bottom lip and slipped around the corner, my eyes going straight to the floor.

"I'm sorry, I was going to the room to change when I saw..." My voice was getting smaller as I was trailing off. There was a long, awkward silence. I finally looked up and saw Loki smiling gently at me while Hel looked as if she wanted to rip my head off. "I didn't mean-"

"It's alright, My Queen. I know." He walked up to me and gently kissed my temple. Hel stomped off, disappearing around the corner from us. "Forgive my daughter."

I shook my head. "Don't worry Loki. She just wants you to be happy with her and Fenrir. It's understandable." Loki sighed, sounding exhausted. I hugged him, my arms going around his neck. Loki buried his face within the crook of my neck and planting soft kisses there. It tickles so I giggled but that only made Loki continue to do so. I tried pushing him away so he began tickling my sides. A burst of laughter erupted from me, echoing through the hallway as Loki was brushing his fingers against my sides.

We stopped when we heard a soft whine from a few feet behind me. Fenrir was looking at us with his ears back and eyes enlarged. Loki, being a father, got worried. "Fenrir? What is it? Are you alright?" Fenrir nodded and carefully walked up to us. I knelt down next to him and opened my arms. He instantly grew happy and ran up to me, knocking us both to the floor. "Fenrir!"

He continued to hug me and lick my face. "It's alright Loki. Did you still want to go to the park?" Fenrir nodded and got off of me. I stood and petted Fenrir's head. "I'm going to go and get changed. Meet me by the elevator and we will get going." I kissed the top of his head and turned to Loki. "Ill see you later." I kissed the corner of his mouth and headed for the room to shower and change.

Once I was ready I got money as well, planning on going to a pet store and see if there was any toys that Fenrir would want to play with, along with getting lunch later. I dressed in simple jeans and a soft green tee-shirt. I said goodbye to everyone, except for Hel since she wasn't there and told Loki she didn't want to be around me. Fenrir and I soon left the building and headed for the store. Fenrir was looking all around the streets as if he was afraid he was going to miss something.

I found the store a while later and led Fenrir in. "Check this out. This is a pet store but they have lots of toys and treats. If you want something just tell me, okay?" It didn't seem strange to anyone talking to a pet here which made me feel a little more comfortable. Fenrir looked up to me with those bug eyes and began sniffing the air. He trotted off and down a aisle where they had some meat flavored treats for all animals. He had his eye on a big bag that had bacon flavor in particular. "Do you want it?" He nodded his head so I grabbed three bags, making Fenrir even happier. "Well, we can't let these go by too quickly now can we? You want a toy while we're here?"

Fenrir looked at the different toys they had. I explained to him what each one was made for. A rope to play tug-a-war, a ball and Frisbee to throw and play catch, a large handful of chew toys, etc. He seemed lost and I chuckled. I decided to get basically one of everything, since I had the money to do so, and headed to check out. The older woman was surprised and glanced at the large, black wolf next to me. "My! She spoils you doesn't she?!" Fenrir barked and we both chuckled. The woman was sweet enough to throw in a fabric bag for free with my large purchase. I thanked her and headed out with Fenrir following me, excited for the park.

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><p>I settled down under a tree in the shade and began pulling out some of the toys and opening them up. Fenrir bounced up and down, panting and swinging his large tail around. I smiled and pulled out a thick Frisbee. He noticed it a stilled. "I'm going to throw this and you catch it. Wanna try?" He nodded and I got up. "I haven't thrown one of these before so I'm sorry if I suck at this." He barked and I figured he was telling me to shut up and do it already. I threw it like I had seen people do around us. It was flying but at a awkward angle and it fell only ten feet in front of me. Fenrir had begun to chase it but when I failed he gave me a look. I chuckled, scratching the back of my head. "I will practice more. Let's try something else." I pulled out a dark green ball and held it up to him. "This one is idiot proof." I threw it has hard as I could and he instantly took off. While he ran I went and retrieved the Frisbee and placed it back in the bag.<p>

When I turned around Fenrir was back with the ball in his hands. I laughed and took it. "Wow you're fast. Wanna do that again?" He wiggled his butt, his eyes glued to the ball. I threw it again, a little harder that last time, and watched him as he went after it. Once Fenrir was close enough he jumped up and grabbed it, turning around and heading right back to me. Went did this back and forth for about a hour before Fenrir began to get tired. We sat down and I pulled out the treats for him. "You really deserve these, here." He ate right out of my hand, licking it clean only a moment afterwards. I noticed he was panting a lot and I smacked my head. "I'm sorry! I forgot water, hold on."

I ran up and found a man with a cart, selling bottle of water. Once I had a few bottles I went back to Fenrir and sat down next to him, pouring some out for him to drink. He downed most of the bottle so I opened another for him and he drank most of that too. When he had enough I finished what was left of the bottle. Fenrir lay his head on my lap and my hand went straight to his head, running my fingers through his soft fur. We both relaxed there, watching others play and hang out in the park. The sun was slowly setting and Fenrir lifted his head. "What's up bud?"

He looked at me, his father's eyes searching deep into my soul. I couldn't feel my body for the longest time until we broke contact. Fenrir blinked and leaned his head against my forehead. I was shocked by his sudden affection for a second and exploded with happiness. I hugged him and pushed my face into his, humming my happiness. Fenrir pulled back and licked my face, a thick trail of slobber left behind. "Oh wow, hehe. Thanks Fenrir. You want more of those treats?" He barked and I grabbed another handful for him. Once he was finished I got up, Fenrir following suit. "Let's get going. We should do this again. Would you like that?" Fenrir barked happily and rubbed against my side as we walked away.

Once we were back at the tower Fenrir sprinted to Loki, who was lounging in a chair and speaking to Steve and Logan. Loki laughed and hugged his son. "Fenrir! Did you have fun?" Fenrir howled and ran up to me, grabbing the bag with all of his new toys, and headed back to Loki. He began to pull out all the toys and treats, confused spread across his face.

Steve chuckled and leaned forward on his knees. "Wow! You got spoiled huh?" Fenrir howled again and Hel came running into the room.

"Brother?! What is the matter?!" She saw me and sneered before turning her attention back to Fenrir. Hel noticed that Fenrir was chewing on a thick, plastic squirrel toy, growling happily at Loki's feet. She turned back to me and jabbed a finger into my chest. "My brother is not a dog!"

I held up my hands in defeat. "I know he isn't. He's a wolf." She didn't like my response. Loki was about to get up when I raised my hand to him and he sat back down, Fenrir stilling and watching us curiously. "I got those for him to play with. He was happy with the ball and chew toy. Fenrir loves the treats and had a great time today with me. Why do you assume that I'm evil in disguise?"

Tension began to grow in the room. Hel crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing on me. "You're just sucking up to everybody so they will chose your side!"

I scoffed. "We are one team! I planned on even taking you shopping in the city. I know a store that you would absolutely love but you didn't want to go and I wasn't going to force you to do something you don't want. I believe I had already said that!" Hel frowned.

Loki jumped up, making Fenrir jump a bit. "Enough! Both of you!" I froze with fear. Loki was obviously angry with the both of us. Steve and Logan wisely kept their mouths shut as the three of us fought. Loki looked at me with his finger raised and I suddenly felt like the five year old he had just met and was punishing for bad behavior. "You will not speak to my daughter like that again." Steve and Logan shot Loki looks but it went unnoticed. Hel looked smug and smirked at me. Loki came up to her and gripped her arm tightly, bringing her close to him. "We are going to have a talk."

The both of them left the room, leaving me and everyone one in depressing silence. Fenrir slowly came up to me and rubbed his snout in my hand. I slowly scratched the back of his ear, my eyes staring at my shoes. Steve carefully came up to me with Logan following after. "Are you okay?" I nodded numbly, not really listening to what he was saying.

Clint and Bruce were walking in when they saw us. Bruce came up to me and hugged me. "Riley, what happened?"

Logan crossed his arms and looked down the hall that Loki and Hel went off to. "Loki's little girl was picking a fight with Riley and Loki snapped at the both of them." Clint frowned and rubbed my back.

"That must've been...scary." My bottom lip quivered as I tried to hold back my emotions. Clint shook his head and pulled me from Bruce so I could look at him. "Don't hide your emotions. You know what happens if you do? You become Loki. Don't do that."

Logan nodded. "Yeah, ya' have a right to express how you feel." I didn't want to cry in front of them, showing that I was weak but it was getting harder by the second. Fenrir whined so I looked at him. I noticed that there was tears leaking out of his eyes too and I lost it.

I instantly broke, river of tears pouring from me. Fenrir and I hugged each other, our faces buried in each other's necks. "I-I'm s-sorry everyone!" Steve and Bruce knelt next to me, shushing and comforting us as we cried together. I didn't think how scared that must've been to Fenrir. "I-I'm sorry y-you had to g-go through that Fenrir..." He whined silently and pulled back to lick my cheeks that were stained with tears.

Everyone was silent, the sound of foot steps making the only noise in the room. I didn't have to be Tony Stark to know that it was Loki coming back into the room. My eyes stayed with Fenrir as I continued to pet him, soothing him as much as I can. Clint shifted to looked at Loki in the doorway. "Now is not a good time for you to be here. I suggest you leave."

"I will not be scared off by you Barton." Loki walked forward but stopped when I stood up. I faced him and fought with all my might to keep from yelling at him in front of Fenrir. That was the last thing he needed. Loki saw my face and frowned slightly. "My Queen-"

"I'm not your queen Loki." He was taken back. "It's one thing to yell at me like that. It's another to do so in front of Fenrir." Loki's eyes went straight to his son, regret masking his face.

"My son...I'm so sorry." Fenrir howled lowly and walked off with the chew toy in his mouth. Logan and Clint walked past Loki, each bumping roughly into him. Steve went into the kitchen and Bruce headed for the elevator, briefly asking if I wanted to go with him. I softly declined and thanked him for asking. Now only Loki and I stood in the room, staring at each other, my eyes daring him to make the first move. Loki's Adam's Apple bounced, his fingers picking at his nails. Finally he took a deep breath and met my eyes. "I'm sorry."

I blinked at him and shook my head. "Go to your son..." My head hung and my arms held me together. I felt Loki walked past me, going towards where Fenrir had headed off to. Now I was alone with nobody to talk to, not like I wanted to anyway. My eyes glanced over to the window, staring at the night sky. I walked forward and headed outside, the cold air comforting me. Tony and the rest of the team came to thought and I wondered how everyone was doing. I leaned against the railing and closed my eyes, silently humming to myself for the next few hours until I came back inside and took up Logan's offer to crash with him tonight.

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><p><strong>Yep, two depressing chapters in a row. Aren't I amazing? Please don't hate me!... The next chapter won't be so bad, I promise. Thank you for the reviews again and I hope I'm not getting any hate reviews, lol. I will be seeing you again soon since I'm out of collage now and have more free time on my hands. I hope all of you are going to have a great summer, I know it's gonna suck for me. Lol, I'm a nanny so I don't have any vacation days, oh well. That's what I get for growing up.<strong>


	23. Chapter 23

**See! Another chapter already. Not much happens here sadly. A little humor here and there, again not much. Here we go!**

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><p>I got dizzy again but it past as quickly as it had came. I noticed that Natasha had taken roll of watching over Blizzard without objection, Storm being just as close to the large wolf cub. Thor turned and gave a small bow to a man in gold with a sword-in-the-stone kind of deal. "Hello Heimdall, I must speak with Father."<p>

Heimdall smiled at Thor but kept his eyes glued in space. "He has been waiting for you, prince. He...is not in the best of moods though."

Thor shrugged as if it was nothing. "It matters not. We have important things to discus." Thor began walking away and I took the chance and took off the suit, leaving the book in it as well. I highly doubted that I was going to need it here. The others were already heading off without me when I was finished.

My eyes went to the giant and I pointed at my suit. "Can you watch over that for me?" Heimdall nodded and I began walking away to follow Thor when he spoke up.

"Riley wonders and worries about your travel to the Nine Realms." I stopped and turned to look at him, not surprised when he still kept his gaze in front of him.

"Okay...what of it?" He didn't answer me and I suddenly became worried. What has happened while we were gone? I forced my worried thoughts back and ran out to catch up with the others. Hank and T'Challa raised their eyebrows at me and I shrugged my shoulders. "Don't know so don't ask. Wow!" My eyes were glued to the crystalized bridge with the thousands of different colors racing through it. I was amazed and nearly forgot where I was until Thor clapped my shoulder.

"Stay focused, friend Stark. If you fall we will never see of you again." Yeah, that was reassuring! He continued forward, poor Blizzard getting nervous about the bridge he was walking over. We reached large, golden doors that opened for us, revealing to us a world of perfection. "My friends! I introduce to you, Asgard!" My mouth gaped open at the sheer beauty of it all. You could feel the peace and happiness in the air.

Natasha was the first to speak. "Damn, this is amazing Thor." He smiled proudly and escorted us through. My mind was in a shocked state to a point where I didn't even realize what we were doing. Not too long later we had reached the place that Thor grew up in. It seemed the whole building was as big as New York itself.

"Fuck Thor! How did you not get lost forever in this place?!" Thor smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Who says I haven't?" We all chuckled. Blizzard howled and was prancing around us, seeing everything new to the cub. "You must stay with us young cub. My of my people will be frighten of you." The cub stopped and stood between Storm and Natasha. T'Challa went over and petted his head, Blizzard's tail wagging everywhere.

Hank walked closer to Thor. "Why is that?"

Thor sighed. "My people are fearful of creatures from Jötunheimr. Even those of young age." Thor went and patted Blizzard's head as we reached the gates and walked in.

I caught the look on the guards as they noticed us and the Ice Wolf cub. Though they tried to stay masked I was able to see the smallest frowns. Living with Loki has helped me se these more often now. Blizzard seemed to grow uncomfortable. He seemed to understand what dangers he was getting into. Natasha comforted him now which made me smile a bit.

The throne room was as big as I thought it might be, golden as expected too. The big guy sat on the golden throne wearing a large helmet and a spear to his side. Thor went and knelt in front of him, the others followed Thor's actions but I stayed put. It's a ego thing, I don't kneel for anybody. The big guy stared at me with his one eye and got up. "Hello Man of Iron. It is...nice to see you again."

I clapped my hands together and smiled. "Did you miss me, Big Daddy?!" Thor shook his head while everyone groaned. The cub huddled close to the girls and Big Daddy saw him and frowned.

"Why have you brought this Ice Wolf with you my son?" Thor stood tall.

"It is a long story but I must speak to you about more important matters." Big Daddy cocked his head to the side. "I wish to know about the seventh Infinity Stone." Big Daddy paled and looked over to his guards and motioned them to leave.

Big Daddy sighed and shuffled back to his throne, looking a bit exhausted. "I had heard stories of the seventh stone, but I did not think anything of it." When he sat it seemed as though time had caught up with him, looking much older now. "Where did you hear of this Thor?"

"Space had told this to us and our friend Riley had seen a vision of the seventh stone's making." Thor took a second before talking again. "Is there something you haven't told me?"

We waited for him to answer when Thor's mother walked in, a bright smile spreading across her face when she saw him. "Oh Thor! It is lovely to see you once again!" She turned and jumped a little when she saw the cub by us. "And you have brought...your friends too. Welcome to Asgard!" She noticed Hank, T'Challa and Storm. "I don't believe we have met before. I am Queen Frigga."

Storm introduced everyone. "I am Storm. This is Hank, a friend of mine. And this is T'Challa, a king on Earth I mean Migard." Frigga giggled and bowed politely at them all. She said her hellos and glanced at me. I gave her a wink and she shook her head.

"Lovely to see you again Man of Iron. Where is everyone else?" Thor stood up and answered for us.

"We have separated into groups so half of us can protect Migard while the rest of us go on our travels. Mother, have you heard of the seventh Infinity Stone?" She instantly stilled and gazed up at Big Daddy, worry clear in her eyes. Big Daddy sighed and ran his hand down his face. Thor was becoming anxious. "What are you two not telling us? Why do you keep things from me?! From Loki?!"

It was clear that Loki's true parentage is still a touchy subject. Big Daddy got back up and pointed at Thor. "I will speak to only you, Thor. Your friends will have to stay and wait." Thor sighed and followed him out of the room.

Storm glanced around and turned to the queen. "What are we to do?"

Frigga glanced at the cub and smiled lightly. "Why don't you all head over to the healers. It seems you have been through much on your journey."

Natasha scoffed. "You can say that again." Frigga led us down another hallway, Blizzard trailing behind a little to where he was walking next to me. I reached up to scratched his head, receiving a lick to the face. Yuck!

* * *

><p>I had five different women crowding all around me, checking if I was okay with sly smiles on their faces. Normally I would be perfectly fine with it and tell them to have fun but now I felt a little...vulnerable. One blond girl came up and was checking out my ass, feeling it around and "Making sure my spine was in tact". Total bullshit by the way. I politely pushed her off and excused myself once they realized that I was just fine. A few cuts and bruises on my back but I was fine, nothing I haven't been through before. I walked down a corridor that was open on my left to show me a perfect view of the city. Even the outskirts of Asgard looked peaceful, hard to believe that this has been here since the beginning.<p>

"Hey! Who are you?!" A warrior woman with brown hair marched up to me with three men of different sizes coming up behind her.

With a charming smile I said, "The real question is, who are you?" She frowned while the three snickered. I chuckled and held up my hand to her. "I'm Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man. I'm a friend of Point Break." She cocked her head and I sighed. "Thor."

Her eyes got big and the big guy behind her spoke up. "You are the Man of Iron Thor speaks of! We were wondering when we we're going to meet his new friends. I am Volstagg. This is Hogun and Fandral. She is Lady Sif." I shook their hands and when I reached Sif she narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.

I chuckled and did the same. "Hard to get huh? Well worth it in the end." She was disgusted with me while Volstagg and Fandral laughed with me.

Fandral clapped my shoulder. "I like you! You have guts to speak to Sif that way."

"I'm always like this." I faced her and winked jokingly. "You will learn to like me." She looked like she was going to blow a casket when T'Challa, Natasha and Storm was walking behind me with Blizzard by their sides. Sif noticed the cub and drew out her sword.

"What is that beast doing here?!" The other three noticed it but hesitated to draw their weapons like She-Hulk. Natasha raised her fist while Storm took a protective step in front of Blizzard. T'Challa glanced at me and I tilted my head at Sif, giving him a look. She-Hulk raised her blade high, catching my attention.

I stood between them, waving my hands to catch their attention. "Whoa! Calm down! This is Blizzard, his mother saved my life and showed us Time, the Infinity Stone. Thor likes him!" She-Hulk was still iffy and took a step when a loud voice froze her in her track.

"Sif! Do not harm that cub! He is with me!" Thor was stomping down and heading towards up, displeasure clearly written over his face. His friends greeted him as he past. Thor stopped and knelt next to Blizzard who rubbed up against him.

She-Hulk sheathed her weapon but still frowned, not trusting anyone here. "Thor, you know better than to bring this monster here." Thor stood up like a king.

"This cub is no monster. Those who label innocent as such are the true monsters." Ouch! She was taken back and even the three men took a step back at Thor's words.

She-Hulk shook her head. "What has gotten into you?" Something wasn't right.

I looked to Thor and ran my hand through my hair. "Hey point Break, do they know about Loki...and his..." I rolled my hand at him. Thor understood and shook his head "no". "They really should know about that you know." Both Storm and Natasha nodded in agreement with me. T'Challa was trying to comfort Blizzard as he cowered behind Thor.

Hogun stepped up. "What does the Man of Iron speak of Thor? What does Loki have?" Thor sighed and stood up, gazing at the city in front of him.

"Loki is not my true brother by birth. He was taken by my father as a infant." They seemed a little surprised but not too much.

Volstagg rumbled. "That is not a big surprise to us. What of it?"

Thor faced him with a hard stare. "Loki was taken from his home planet because he was abandoned. Loki's birth place is Jötunheimr." It was like all of Asgard had stilled.

Sif was staring at Thor like he was suddenly Loki. "W-What?! He is a Frost Giant?! When, who?!" Thor raised his hand and silenced her.

"Loki found out on his own, my father had told me after Loki had fallen off the Bifrost. I didn't tell you all because I knew how you would react." He took a breath of air, his shoulders looking a bit heavier than usual. "None the less, he is still my brother." Storm came up and held his shoulder, getting him to smile.

Fandral sighed and smiled at Thor. "No matter what Loki does, he will always be your brother. We realize that." The three of them nodded. Sif looked down, almost ashamed if her pride didn't get the better of her.

T'Challa came up with Blizzard trotting next to them. "What did your father have to say about the new stone?" Thor looked at him and glanced at all of us.

I raised a eyebrow as he swallowed back something. "There was a story about it that was very close to how Riley told us. Which is very bad for us."

I raised a eyebrow. "And why is that? Is it not here or something?"

Thor shook his head. "It is here...somewhere. But what it is and the reason for it's birth is the problem."

"Much like your brother." I was taken back by Sif's outburst. Thor growled but it went unheard to her as she walked away. Fandral rubbed his eyes as Volstagg sighed loudly.

Hogun held onto his friends. "We will talk with her. See you later Thor." The three left without another word.

Storm crossed her arms and glanced at Thor. "I know your brother has issues but that was just uncalled-for." I bit my tongue to keep the names I wanted to call her from slipping out.

Thor faced us and patted Blizzard. "Forget about her. We have things we need to discus."

I raised a hand as a thought came to me. "Hold on. Where's Hank?" T'Challa snickered to himself as the girls shared a look.

Natasha grinned. "The healers were very interested with him so he wasn't as lucky to get away as you were." I laughed. Thor had cracked a smile and led us away to another room.

* * *

><p>"Riley was right when she sensed great evil from this stone." Thor sat down in a chair by a large table. He showed us a large library and started pulling out books without a explanation until now. Each page actively came to live, showing us what was happening in each image. I sat down in front of him when Hank came busting into the room.<p>

I raised a eyebrow. "Hey Blue, where have you been?"

A blush flushed his cheeks. "Those women wouldn't leave me alone. They wanted to bathe me and brush my hair...everywhere." T'Challa patted his shoulder, easing him a little.

I laughed, clutching my gut. "Damn man! You got lucky!" He frowned at me, clearly not agreeing with me. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Thor, you were saying."

Thor opened another book and sighed. "Yes, I spoke with Father...but he has fallen asleep."

Natasha shrugged. "We can wait till he wakes up then. Right?" Thor shook his head sadly.

"It is different. Father is going through the Odinsleep. Hey may not ever awake from this...leaving Asgard without a king." Thor slammed the book shut in frustration and held his face in his hands. "Because of Loki and I are not ready to be either kings of this realm I am fearful what will happen here. With Him threatening the peace of the realms and my father ageing more, we are loosing too much time!"

Thor sounded on the break of tears. Storm came up and gently began to rub his back. "What can we do to help?" Blizzard howled and rubbed against his legs.

Thor leaned back in his seat and grabbed another book. "If only Loki were here, he could help."

I picked a book up and flipped it open. "What can Reindeer Games do that you can't?"

"Know what we're looking for in a blink of a eye. This was his sanctuary as a child." Oh. Natasha and Hank picked up their own book and flipped it open. "I need my fathers father's journal from when he was king."

T'Challa began looking around. "Here? This could take a while."

I closed the book, knowing that it wasn't a journal of any sort. "Why are we looking for your grandpa's journal?"

Once Thor looked through the last book and threw it on the table he answered me. "Because it may have something about the seventh stone. Those who read it and seen the story believe it to be a dream he once had since no soul has seen it. But Space speaks of it so we need to find it, yesterday." We all jumped at Thor's explanation and looked through the hundred of books that were packed in tightly.

Hank jumped up to look through the upper shelves and the girls looked lower. T'Challa and I pulled out slim books and flipped them open. I sighed when it was not what I wanted. "What does it look like Thor?" T'Challa grumbled and took another book.

He shrugged, pulling two books out at a time. "Most likely a normal spell book. Most says it was pure white and is disguised well."

"Will it look like a normal journal? Does it have dates on it?" Thor pulled out more books and looked over to me.

"No. My grandfather was very different. Along with his weekly entries he would write down spell of all sorts." He looked through them and put them back with a shake of his head. "He used magic thinly, only when it was absolutely necessary." A door open and Frigga walked in.

"My son. Have you found it?" Thor shook his head.

"No, and I fear it may not even be here Mother." Thor stopped and looked closer to some of the older shelves. "Mother? Have any of these books been taken when Loki left?"

Frigga stopped and pondered on it for a second. Natasha seemed to be getting a idea and pointed at Thor. "He does have a few books that he shows Riley now and again. One of them is white." I blinked at the memory and snapped my fingers.

"Riley showed me a large book before, when I first met her! I looked through it and saw lots of recipes for your freaky space voodoo. Maybe it's with them." Thor smiled and began to walk out, the rest of us following.

Frigga stood a little closer to me as we walked out and towards the entrance of the palace. She stopped me and gently held my shoulder. "Man of Iron, I must ask if you could deliver a message to Loki for me. He will not listen to Thor."

I chuckled. "I don't blame him. What is it?" She smiled.

"Tell him that he's getting there." I blinked at her, waiting for her to continue but she said nothing else.

"That's it?" She nodded.

"That's all he needs. Now go, you don't want to be stuck here when your friends leave without you."

I chuckled nervously and walked off. "Okay then...later!" I ran out of the place. Women are so cryptical, just like Loki. Maybe that's where he gets it from. I went outside and started falling down the stairs, not paying attention to where I was stepping. Blizzard came out of nowhere and ran under me, lifting me up as I rode him down the rest of the steps and into the city. People where giving me the weirdest stares but I ignored them all. "This is surprisingly awesome."

We reached the gate where everyone was waiting for me. Storm raised a eyebrow at my position. "Should I ask?"

I held up my hand. "No, I tripped and he helped me out. Thanks for waiting." They nodded and we headed for the rainbow bridge.

T'Challa waved his hand at me. "Couldn't forget about you, no matter how much we tried. The silence was too good not to notice." I pouted at him and he laughed. "Let's get going. I hope Blizzard likes his new home."

Natasha placed a kiss to the cub's head. I rolled my eyes. "Looks like Robin Hood has some competition." She narrowed her eyes dangerously at me. I decided to change the focuse away from me in order to save my life. "So Thor! Do you think that Loki has he journal?"

He took a second before talking. "I'm not sure."

Storm frowned. "And what if he doesn't? Weren't we suppose to get the stone here anyway?" Thor shook his head.

"We cannot without my grandfather's journal. It's a waste of time and effort unless we have a idea to start with first." That made sense. We walked up to the golden dome and met with Heimdall with out coats and my suits were we left it. "Thank you for your help Heimdall."

He smiled but didn't move from his spot. "Of course prince. How is your father faring?" Thor licked his lips. Damn, this was making the poor guy very anxious.

"Not too well this time. The healers...they don't think he will come out of this." Heimdall frowned and nodded his head knowingly.

Heimdall finally faced us and Thor. "He is strong Thor. They said that last time as well, remember?" Thor chuckled and we went to grabbed our stuff. I jumped into my suit and glanced at the book before I was fully covered again. "Are you all ready?" We nodded as Heimdall stabbed his sword down, a suction worm hole opening up. "Safe travels friends."

Thor jumped first, T'Challa and Hank following right after. Natasha and Storm went next with Blizzard between them as I came up behind them. It was getting easy adjusting to this feeling of being thrown across the galaxy to our planet. I blinked and we suddenly landed on my roof, the platform cracking under the pressure. I groaned at it and flipped my face plate off. "Okay! This is the late time I'm fixing this!" The girls rolled their eyes at me. There was a short silence as we waited. Nobody came running up to us as we stood awkwardly in the sun. "Were is the welcoming party?"

T'Challa scratched his head. "I'm not sure but seems...depressing."

* * *

><p>"Hey! We're back!" We came out of the elevator and saw Logan, Steve and Bruce talking. They glanced at us and gave us small smiles. "Dude?! Wha the fuck happened while we were gone?!" Bruce lifted a finger to his mouth and pointed to Riley sleeping in Logan's lap. I glanced at my team as we stepped into the room. "Seriously. What happened?" I was much quieter now. Blizzard lifted it's head and saw Riley. The three saw him and raised their eyebrows. "Long story. You're first."<p>

Steve stood up, lifting his hand to Blizzard to sniff as he spoke softly. "Her and Loki had a huge fight about Hel attitude towards her...Loki kinda took his daughter side more and poor Fenrir was kind of stuck in the middle of it."

Thor was taken back. Natasha sighed and shook her head, leaving to probably find bird boy. Storm came up to Logan and sat next to him. T'Challa sat in his own seat and I was left standing with hank. "Wait, Loki yelled her? Where is he now?"

Bruce adjust his glasses and spoke up a little. "He and Hel have been locked in their room all day. Fenrir is kinda stuck between his family and Riley. They had grown very attached yesterday." I closed my eyes and rubbed my face when I remembered the book I found. It would have to wait so I placed it on the bar as I grabbed myself a drink.

"Tony?...Are you back?" My eyes glanced over my shoulder to see Riley stirring in Logan's lap. Her eyes were beet red, even I could tell from here.

I smiled softly and placed the bottle down. "Hey girly. Missed me?" I walked up to her with my arms open for her. She nodded and walked forward, hugging me tightly.

"Yeah. How did it go? Did you get both stones?" I patted her head and rubbed her back before carefully pulling back.

"We have Time...the other stone has yet to be found." She blinked and dropped her head.

"Oh..." I cringed.

Logan frowned and came up. "Do ya' want to eat? You haven't touched anything all day and the evening is coming close." Riley looked at him and bit her lip.

"I guess I should eat." Bruce smiled and held up his cell phone. "I was about to order some pizza. Do you want some?"

Riley cracked a smile which brought huge relief to me. "Yeah, meat lovers please." Bruce nodded and went ahead to order food. Soft patter came into the room. I noticed that Fenrir walked in with his head low until he saw Blizzard. Each wolf froze, not knowing what to do until the cub ran up to him and tackled him to the ground, licking his face. "Where did you guys get the wolf?"

* * *

><p>"I knew I smelt pizza. Welcome back guys." Clint and Natasha came walking in the room as we just got the pizzas. Clint glanced over to Riley who was nibbling on a slice and smiled, ruffling her hair as he walked by. Riley shot him a playful glare and continued eating. I cracked open a soda and passed it over to her, getting a soft thank you.<p>

Thor explained about what had happened with the wolves and Him who attacked us. Riley was shocked and kept asking us if we were alright. Of course we told her we were fine and Thor kept talking to the point where he and his father were discussing the journal that we needed. Riley listened carefully and shook her head at Thor's suspicion of Loki having it. "No. I have seen all of the books. The big one you're thinking about is more of a story book. It's not a journal of any sort. I would remember if there was a story about a seventh stone. Sorry Thor." We all sighed.

"Do not worry Riley, it is alright." Thor grabbed another slice and chomped it down quickly.

Steve sipped some water and talked with Natasha. Hank, Storm and Logan were caught in their own conversation. T'Challa and Bruce were discussing their discoveries while I tried to get Riley to laugh by occasionally poking her sides. Fenrir and Blizzard were chewing on some treats that Riley had gotten them, cuddling close together. Riley looked over to them and smiled lightly. "I'm happy that Fenrir has a new friend."

"Me too." We smiled together but it was a little more forced with her. I leaned forward and placed a soft kiss to her forehead. "I will be okay. I promise."

A man cleared his throat from the far side of the room. Everyone went silent as we gazed at Loki and Hel standing in the doorway. I kept my expression clear but snuck a glance at Riley. She stiffened and finished her food, ignoring Loki completely. He walked forward and pushed Hel forward as well. She was reluctant and casted her eyes to the floor. After a long and painful moment of silence Loki sighed and gripped his daughter's shoulder. "She has something she would like to say. Helena?"

Hel blinked at Loki and bit her bottom lip harshly. She glanced at Riley and spoke up. "I'm sorry." Riley didn't look up for a second as she took a swing of her Pepsi.

Once she was done Riley took her plate and stood up, glaring at Hel. "I'm not the only one you should apologize to." And with that Riley left, not being seen from for the rest of the night. Logan informed me that she was crashing with him. Thor went to speak to Loki about whatever he wanted to talk about and the rest of us just went to bed, nobody getting any real sleep that night.

* * *

><p><strong>And there you have it! Your new chapter. I will be seeing you again soon~<strong>


	24. Chapter 24

**I'm on a roll aren't I! Whoop-whoop! Here's your next chapter everyone! Not much happens until we get towards the end of this chapter and then we get some action! Hope you all enjoy it.**

* * *

><p>I tossed over to my right side, not getting any sleep tonight. It was about five in the morning and I was wide awake, wondering about the seventh stone. Thor went to talk to Loki about it and I know we will have to think of another plan today. My mind would not rest though, no matter how much I tried to sleep.<p>

*Snore!*

I blinked and smiled to myself as I sat up in Logan's bed. He was kind enough to allow me to stay with him. He even went to crash out on the floor. I gave him the blanket and pillows so he would be more comfortable and I'm happy he was able to get some sleep. Even though he snores like a bear. My eyes looked over to the window, seeing the blackness of the sky fading away into light blues. It was pretty to look at so I slowly got up to look out the window. I stood there with my arms holding my sides. Everything was so quiet, peaceful, much like a calm before a storm. I knew that we would be fighting the war soon. My world was at risk and here we were, sitting around and just waiting for it to happen.

"Riley." I jumped and clapped my hand over my mouth to keep myself from screaming. I looked over to see Logan sitting up with his arms crossed. "Are ya' alright?"

I slowly nodded, dropping my eyes to the floor. "Yes, I'm sorry to have awaken you Logan." He shook his head and motioned me to come to him.

"I can hear yer frustrations it's that loud." I felt embarrassed and walked over to him, sitting down. "Ya' need to relax. I know there is a lot going on but worrying every second about it will not solve anything."

I nodded my head and began to yawn. I looked up at him and gave him a half smile. "Sorry Logan. I'll try to get some sleep." Logan patted my head and picked me up by my waist. "Huh?!"

He jumped on the bed, dragging me up to his side. "Yer use to sleep with a body next to yours. Now get some sleep before I have to make ya'." I giggled and closed my eyes, sleep finally granting my wish and letting me fall into a dreamless sleep. I had only slept for about four hours but it would have to be enough for now. Logan woke me up by hitting me with his pillow.

I growled at him and he only smirked. "Damnit Logan."

"Come on. I'm starving!" With a roll of my eyes I got changed and followed him down to the living room and into the kitchen. Everyone was already eating at the table and bar since we were running out of room now. Pepper noticed me and smiled as she placed a plate of food for me. I smiled back at her and sat down with Logan sitting next to me.

Tony smirked at me and I raised a eyebrow at him. He held up a piece of his scrambled egg and threw it down my shit. "Tony! Damn it!" He laughed at me as I reached down my shirt to dig out the egg. Logan handed me a napkin as he snickered. I took it and got the egg piece, glaring at Tony with all my might. Pepper reached over and smacked the back of his head. "Thank you Pepper."

"Anytime Riley." Tony mumbled something as he rubbed the back of his head. Steve and Bruce was ignoring what was going on and quickly finished their food. The girls spoke to each other, having their own conversation. Fenrir and the new wolf, Blizzard, were laying on the ground next to the table, both pair of eyes on me.

I looked at my strips of bacon and smiled to myself before casually hiding my hand under the table. Both wolves slowly got up and ate the bacon from my hands. Unfortunately Natasha noticed this. "Boys! You are not to be eating other people's food."

I chuckled and shrugged my shoulders. "It's alright, I gave them the slices. I'm not that hungry anyway." Everyone's eye were suddenly on me. Clint cocked his head and waved a donut in front of my face. I was not amused and flicked his nose. "I'm fine." I urged.

My eyes somehow landed on Loki who was looking at me with great concern. With a deep breath of air I finished what I could and took my plate into the kitchen. I quickly washed my plate and went to get myself a glass of water when his voice broke the short silence. "My Queen."

I didn't turn around. "I told you not to call me that." I could hear him sighing.

"I know you're upset with me. I apologizes for hurting you like that. Please," I chugged down the glass and filled it up with Pepsi before finally facing him.

His eyes were blood shot and his face was a little paler than usual. "You didn't get any sleep either." He shook his head. I sipped my soda and moved to go around him. "I need to go and find Nova." I left Loki there in the kitchen, fully aware that everyone watched me as I left them to go to the training room.

* * *

><p>My hands tightly gripped the armor part of Nova as I flung her up and spun her on my arm. The sharp tips sliced into the air, making a small whistle of sound in the empty training room. I felt selfish for wanting to stay angry at Loki but I could not just forgive him like a good little apprentice. I am grown up, an adult now. So why do I still feel like that perfect child compared to him? Age had nothing to do with it I'm sure. It didn't matter that he was hundreds of years older, or that he was a god. The fact was I was that five year old again in his eyes, actually it was more like I had never stopped being just that to him, just a larger version of that now. I was not his equal, I will never be his equal and it bothered me so much.<p>

I spun and cried out all my frustration in my next attack to the imaginary opponent. Nova came harshly to the ground, lifting me up to kick the air and spin again so I could throw Nova. My heart frantically raced in my chest at the sheer power and emotion I was putting into this training. Without even trying to use any power I was suddenly transported. I teleported to the roof of Avengers Tower by accident. I gasped and took in large breath of air. I was suddenly winded and fell to the ground, Nova falling around me so I sat in its center. _"Miss Janssen, are you alright?"_

I rubbed my head, feeling a ache coming. "Yes, sorry about that JARVIS. Don't tell anybody I did that."

_"I'm sorry Miss Janssen but I have already informed Mr. Stark. He is sending Mr. Banner to check on you."_ I rolled my eyes and pulled my knees to my chest. Sure enough about three minutes later and Bruce is sprinting outside. I glanced up at him through the split between my knees.

Bruce came up to me and sat in front of Nova and I, knowing that Nova will protect me if he got any closer. "Is everything alright?" I shrugged my shoulders.

To be truthful, no. Nothing was alright. The realms were at risk, a insane alien is out to get my friends and I, and Loki's feeling towards me was confusing. Bruce sat there for a moment so I decided to try and talk. "It's hard...you know."

He nodded. "I imagine. You have a lot on your plate, and Loki isn't helping you at all." I licked my lips and closed my eyes, resting my head to my knees. Bruce stayed quiet for another long moment before he sighed and got up. "Come on. You're not alone anymore, do you realize that?"

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Huh?"

He chuckled. "Tony had told me a little about your past, not much. Listen Riley, you are not alone anymore. You have people who care a lot about you." He looked like he was debating to say anything any further before he scratched his head and shrugged his shoulders. "And that includes Loki too." I lowered my eyes from his gaze, knowing fully that he was right. "He has his faults, a lot of them, but he does really care about you. Just like the rest of us. We're a family."

My breath caught in my throat at his words. We're a family. I blinked a few times and jumped up to run into his arms, burying my face in his chest. Bruce hesitated but held me softly. "Thank you Bruce!" I cried for a moment, savoring those words. Once I was done I pulled back and wiped away my tears. "You're right Bruce, we are a family. And I'm not going to let this one go."

He smiled and gently held my shoulders. "I'm glad I can help. Let's get inside, it's hot outside." I nodded and followed him in. We went into the elevator and were taken to the living room. I placed Nova by the door and searched the room. T'Challa and Tony were talking to themselves when they noticed me. Natasha, Storm and Pepper were relaxing by the bar, giving me small smiles. Thor was sitting between Clint and Logan as they watched something on TV. Fenrir and Blizzard were on the ground also watching the TV. Loki and Hel wasn't there and I suspected that they were in the bedroom.

I waved at them and sprinted out of the room to head down the hallway. It felt weird heading down this direction for a second until I reached the door. I quietly walked up to it and knocked on it twice. I didn't hear anything for a moment and was surprised when the door opened suddenly. Hel stood there shocked just as I was. Neither of us knew what to do so I sucked up my courage and spoke. "I want to talk to Loki."

Hel looked like she was conflicted about the answer she wanted to give me. She blinked and sighed before she moved to the side. I peered in and saw Loki laying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Daddy..." Loki turned his head, his eyes going wide when he saw me.

I swallowed and turned to Hel. "Could you give us a minute?" She didn't answer and just walked out. Loki instantly sat up and gripped the sheets around him. I licked my lips and took a few steps forward. "Loki...we need to talk." He shied back a little and I shook my head. "It needs to be done. Loki, what do you see when you see me?"

He was surprised by my question. "I see my beautiful Queen." I closed my eyes and shook my head.

"You want to know what I see in you? I see a man who has amazing, magic talents and has two amazing children." I took two more steps closer to him and looked at him in his eyes. "Now, try it again."

He rested his back against the headboard of the bed before he spoke again. "I see...a girl who has amazing powers. She is strong in spirit, mind and body."

I frowned and clasped my hands together in front of me. "You said girl." His brows knitted together. "You don't think of me as a woman, a equal. You still see me as your young apprentice who bends to you." Loki tried to talk but I interrupted him. "Don't! I have grown Loki, without you. And I can keep growing without you." His eyes instantly watered, fearing where I was going with this. "But...I don't want to."

Loki stared at me. I climbed on the bed and up into his lap. "I-I...I don't know," He was at a loss for words it seemed.

I gave him a small smile and held his face. "Loki, I love you so much. I have given you everything I have and more. I'm not letting you go so easily." Loki leaned into my hands, his own holding me closer to him. "We both need to realize who we are now. I am a full-grown woman, no longer a child." I lifted his face and lowered my eyes on him. "And I expect to be treated as such."

Loki's eyes became hooded before he quickly claimed my lips with his. His hands tightly gripped my hips, making sure I was not going anywhere. My own hands moved to his hair, pulling and gripping at the long strands. After a few minutes we pulled back but only enough to catch the much need air. His lust-glazed eyes drank mine in. "I love you so much, I'm sorry. I will change."

I smiled, letting a few tears leak out. "Just hold me idiot."

* * *

><p>Thor got everyone together after lunch to talk, which I already knew what was going to happen. Everyone took their seats while Loki and I stood off to the side, his arm wrapping around me from behind. It felt like all the tension in the building lifted when they saw that Loki and I was okay. Thor gave me a warm smile before he faced us, his smiling falling a little. "My friends, my father has told me about Riley's vision of the seventh stone."<p>

Tony leaned forward on his knees. "Yeah, what's up with that Point break. You never did fully explain what we were finding exactly." T'Challa nodded. Loki held me closer to him, feeling a little nervous.

Thor nodded and crossed his arms. "I was rushed to find the journal, I apologies. The seventh Infinity Stone was only a story to those who even read the journal. The story goes as my Grandfather trying to protect the Infinity Stones from those who wish to use its power for ultimate control. Asgard was threatened many of times during his ruling and during this time he had grown doubtful of his army, if they were able to protect our realm. After years of battles he became desperate to protect the realms." He stopped and looked at me. "You saw him didn't you?"

I nodded. "I saw a young man, a king."

Thor waited a moment before continuing. "With his power and the Infinity Stones my Grandfather created a seventh stone. This stone only had one purpose, its power being equal to all of the stones and the gauntlet put together."

"Damn" Was whispered amongst everyone.

Hank spoke up. "So what happened in creating the stone?"

Thor sighed. "The journal only spoke about what may happen. Riley is the only who really knows of the truth." Again, all eyes were on me.

I rolled my eyes and retold them of my vision in the greatest of detail as I remembered it. All ears were on me, soaking in the words I was speaking until I was done. "Then he died, that's it." The room fell into a moment of silence. Loki pulled back and walked up to Thor.

"This stone is extremely dangerous. There was only one reason that our grandfather would create this stone." Thor and I smiled that Loki admitted to being part of that family. "He wanted something to have as a last resort weapon, in case everything else had failed. Thor."

Thor continued. "It is a stone to extinguish all beings in the Nine Realms." My eyes shot open. Steve and Logan jumped to their feet.

Tony waved his hands, clearly shocked. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Your grandfather wanted to protect all life by destroying all life?! That's fucked up!"

Loki nodded. "He was desperate. As Thor said, it was a last resort. thankfully Asgard's army was victorious and the stone was never used. Even so it became lost with time. No one knows where it is now, the journal may have some clue to where it is now but now that the journal is gone it may be a good or a bad thing."

Storm crossed her arms. "How so?"

Thor answered. "If the journal is lost along with that stone then maybe no soul will find it."

I shook my head, the image and memory of that blasted stone sent shivers down my spine. "I won't risk it! Anyone can find it by accident and what happens then? It's then end of all life if they use the stone."

T'Challa nodded. "Riley has a good point. We can't just hope that this is a problem that will solve itself. We need to take action now."

Clint raised his head to T'Challa. "Then what should we do? We can't keep splitting up, you all almost didn't make it when Him attacked you all. We are stronger as one."

Bruce scratched his head. "And what of the gauntlet? Are we going to ignore that it's important to get a hold of that?" Thor shifted nervously.

"We don't need to worry about finding it. Him already has it."

"What?!" We all jumped at once.

Thor ran his fingers through his hair. "He wielded it when he attacked us. Remember Man of Iron?"

Tony nodded. "I thought he just had a thing for gold. None of us had seen what the damn thing looked like. If I had known I would've tried to grab it when I had the chance."

Steve patted his shoulder. "You couldn't have know Tony. What can we do now Thor?"

Our eyes went to Thor and Loki. They looked at each other and sighed. "Nothing."

I stomped my foot on the ground. "No! I'm not sitting around like this! There has to be something we can do. Can't Heimdall search for it? Are there forbidden vaults in Asgard that is closed off to anyone but you two? Something?!"

Fenrir hummed and rubbed against me, Blizzard slowly following his actions. It helped me calm down. Loki spoke up only seconds later. "Heimdall can only find people. If there was a place that was suppose to be forbidden Thor and I would've found it as children years ago."

I sighed, my shoulders falling forward. "So nothing...there is nothing we can do." Man I felt useless. Everyone seemed to notice this. Hel walked into the room and saw me, though we didn't make eye contact. I was disappointed with the situation to even bother with anything. A new threat was hovering over my head like a dark rain cloud that was bound to storm on me any second now.

"Umm, Riley?" Hel's voice in the silence was strange to hear, like a dog barking in a cat sanctuary.

I lifted my head and eyebrow at her. "Yes?" She glanced at her brother and played with her hands.

"I was wondering if...we could go shopping?" I didn't process what she asked until a moment later.

"Right now?... Um, sure?" Her eyes brightened and a faint smile could be seen.

"Really?! Great! Fenrir you can come too!" Loki came up to me and kiss my temple.

As everyone began to slowly leave the room Loki whispered in my ear, "Have this moment to yourself. Go and have fun, forget about everything."

I turned to kiss the corner of his mouth. "Alright, but I still want to think of ideas when I get back." I noticed Tony walking up and saying something to Loki about his mother but Blizzard distracted me when he nipped my fingers for smiled warmly at me and I smirked. "Oh Tony!" He froze and gave me a 'Uh oh' look. "Can I borrow your credit card?"

* * *

><p>"I don't like my brother having to wear this." Hel frowned as she held the leash in her hands.<p>

I chuckled. "I don't either but it's the law. If someone asks you tell them you're blind that way he can go anywhere with you in the store. Most places don't allow pets to walk in unless he is one of those guiding dogs." Fenrir wagged his tail happily, excited to be out again. "He doesn't seem to mind anyway." She nodded.

We continued our walk all the way to the mall. Hel looked a little intimidated by the size of the building, making me giggle at her. She narrowed her eyes but I ignored her and pulled her into the mall. We went into every store she wanted to see and got whatever she wanted, credit to Tony and his unlimited amount of money. Hours went by and it was well into the night when we got out. Hel was grinning from ear to ear. We had become a little more comfortable with each other now, it was a start. Fenrir looked happy to see us getting along as well with his tail wagging all day and his eyes glistening brightly.

"That was so much fun! I love these colors!" Hel pulled out a bright blue dress and held it up against herself, a smile gracing her features.

"I'm glad you're happy. That dress looks lovely on you too."

Hel placed the dress back in the bag and glanced up at me. "You know, I am really sorry." We looked at each other, ignoring the world around us.

I held my hand to her so she could take it. "It's alright, let's start over. I'm Riley and I love your dad very much."

Hel chuckled and took my hand. "I'm Helena, the daughter of the man you're fucking." I stiffened, catching a few guy's eyes on me as they walked by. Hel snickered as I worked to fight the blush.

"Thanks..." We continued walking, talking about the city. I didn't know much about it so I tried to compare it to California, the difference and the similarities. Hel became interested in my life so I gave her a brief explanation about being the strange loner who everyone feared. She listened quietly, along with Fenrir. "...And that's was when Tony found me and took me away. Stop." The three of us came to a halt as I saw a group of men hanging about ten feet away, eyeing Hel. I moved us away and quietly whispered to her, "Keep walking and don't make eye contact."

She nodded while Fenrir released a low growl. I felt better as we furthered ourselves away from them just to have to shatter when a unknown voice spoke up. "Hey pretty lil' girls! Whacha' got in there? Anything for us?"

Hel turned around with a tight sneer. "Why would there be anything for you? Disgusting mortals!" The group laughed and came closer. My heart raced as I pulled Hel behind me. I could take them, I didn't want the people of the world to see Hel's true powers though.

"Stay there and if things get too rough release Fenrir. Whatever you do, don't use your powers." I couldn't see the look on her face since I kept my eyes on the men. The biggest guy was about six-foot six and reeked of drugs and alcohol. He smirked at me and reached to grab at my shirt. I instinctively smacked his hand away. "Piss off and leave us alone."

He growled and threw a punch. I dogged it well, he was slow and probably a little tipsy. Two guys charged at me from the sides so I ducked and jumped out of the way in time form them to collide with each other. Another man pulled out a knife and waved it at me. I rolled my eyes, clearly not intimidated by this and kicked his hand, tossing the knife away from us. He got pissed and jumped me, throwing us both to the ground. "Riley!" I took a punch to the jaw but he couldn't take one to the ribs. He had to have at least one broke rib as he cried out and rolled off of me.

The two guys from before came back up, pulling out another knife and a baseball bat. My jaw hurt but the rush of adrenalin kept me from feeling any pain for the time being. The one with the bat came rushing first, swinging it at my head. I ducked and kicked his locked leg, breaking his knee and allowing him to fall to the ground. The other tried to stab me from behind but I swiveled around and grabbed his arm and elbowed his face. He fell down next to the others and I felt pretty good at the moment. A large arm went around my neck and pulled me back into the first guy once again.

"Let me go!" His disgusting, hot breath filled my personal space.

"No. Both you and that brat over there are going to be my personal bitches for the next week." Hel's eyes grew wide, realizing what he meant. Her eye pleaded with me to release Fenrir but I shook my head at her. The bastard's other hand gripped my hip tightly and slowly began to go down. I struggled more, getting a little scared at the situation. "I might as well start now. Heh?"

My fingers dug into his arm, clawing at what I could. In a split second everything went blank. I felt his hand grab me from between my legs, and everything fell apart. My hands released his arm and fell to my sides. A large force exploded around me, throwing the bastard off and into a wall. Without thinking at all I used my mutant powers to lift the whole group up into the air and beat them against the wall three times before throwing them into a dark alley. My whole body trembled from fear and excitement. I hadn't used that much of my powers in so long. It felt like I had stretched my legs for the first time in years, relieving that dull ache.

A trembling hand softly rested on my shoulder. I turned around to see Hel nervous and a little frightened. "Are you...okay?" I blinked a few times and gave out a heavy sigh.

"Yeah...let's get out of here." Hel nodded frantically and we all rushed to get back to the tower. About five minutes later and we were riding the elevator to the top and entered the living room. Hel and Fenrir didn't hesitate to run into Loki's arms when they saw him.

That caught everyone's attention and stared at my shaking form. Loki noticed this and got worried. "My Pets, what happened?"

Hel took a deep breath and began talking in a rush that I could barely keep up with. "Riley, Fenrir and I went to a large place called the mall to shop there and we were there for hours! I had fun and so did Fenrir but we left not to long ago and these group of men came out of nowhere and followed us! One big guy was talking to me and Riley began protecting us and a second later he tried hitting her! Riley fought back and defeated almost all the guys except for the first one who grabbed her and began touching her, saying that we were going to become h-his b-bitches! She stopped them and threw them all against a wall but...b-but!" She flung her arms around Loki again. "Daddy! I was so scared! She told me not to use my powers and just let her handle it but she was getting h-hurt and I didn't know what to do!"

I felt bad that she had to see all of that. Bruce ran up to me and instantly began to check me out to see if I was hurt anywhere. I brushed him off and pointed to my jaw. "I got one good one here but other than that I'm fine." My voice was even a little shaky. I had been through a gang attack before but no man had ever tried to touch me like that before, it was frightening.

Soon I had everyone crowding around me, asking me what they looked like, where it happened and what I did with them. The large mixture of voices were becoming too much and I snapped once again, pushing everyone back. The room stilled for the moment, waiting for my next move. Loki was the only one who spoke up. "Riley, you need to breath."

I blinked and sucked in a deep breath of air before falling down and passing out from sheer exhaustion.

* * *

><p><strong>Ta da! And there you have it!...Umm... Until next time I guess. I don't have much to say since my brain is half dead while typing this four in the morning. I<strong>

**I'll see you all again soon! Bye-bye!**


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